Legislating Death

Remember when Sarah Palin’s remarks about Obamacare death panels spurred the left on to an overtime apoplectic fit? Her studied remarks were labeled “disgusting” and “outrageous.”

Leave it to a liberal, though, to actually confirm the accuracy of conservatives’ analysis of social issues. In one recent editorial, “veteran Canadian journailst” Bogdan Kipling writes,

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Had the Democrats merely listened to the wise counsel of such progressives as Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Texas maverick Jim Hightower and pressed for single-payer while they had a staggering majority they likely could have avoided all of this.

From a Canadian perspective, they might be far happier if they had. Yes, the Canadian system has some major flaws, but most of the country's 34-million inhabitants seem relatively happy with it. It provides all the necessities, but few of the expensive frills of the American system.

Then again most Canadians are hardy enough souls that they have no desire to cling to a life that is not really living. What could be more horrendous than to be kept alive for a few more months by excruciatingly painful operations that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? What could be more undignified at the end of the life than to have a nursing-care attendant wake you up to wipe dribble from your chin? And what could be more heartrending than have your family and loved ones see you in such a pathetic condition?

When it comes to prolonging life beyond its normal range, Americans might do well to remember Shakespeare's immortal lines in Julius Caesar: "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."

Suck it up America! By the time the ObamaCare disaster craps out; you're going to have to.
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Yes, leave it to the left to determine that they are the best arbiters of what the “normal range” of life is. Being the elitist liberal that he is, of course Kipling perceives that Canadian citizens are “relatively happy” with their national rationed health care. That is the system that has been foisted onto them – for their own good, of course. With no choice, what else are they going to do but to “seem relatively happy” with it and “suck it up?”

But then, some Canadians take advantage of the ability to supplement their rationed “no frills” health care with American treatment by making the trip across the border to receive services in a more timely manner. Perhaps those who the Canadian system has determined are exceeding the “normal range” of life seek a second opinion.

Sure, at some point a person or family might have to decide when further care and treatment is fruitless. The dangerous arrogance lodged in Obamacare and all the other socialist style, government-run health care systems is that a government has the capability and the imperative to make that life-and-death decision in place of the patient and family.

Even though the left continually want to make Palin and other conservatives out to be backwater know-nothings, whose analysis of today’s issues always ultimately ring true?