Given its source, a publication of Claremont McKenna College, not exactly a hotbed of radicalism, this article urging health care cost containment as a reason to legalize euthanasia captures a justification for assisted suicide that is ever lurking in the background of the debate. From “The Economic Argument for Euthanasia,” by Charlie Sprague:
America has serious health care problems, and as Paul Krugman makes clear in a recent column, serious cost control in the health care industry needs to be a top priority in reform. President Obama and Congressional Democrats seem poised to push for major health care reform in the upcoming months. One idea that politicians on neither the left nor the right will touch due to political sensibilities, however, could be the easiest way to save billions of dollars without affecting health care quality at all: legalizing euthanasia.
As every good CMCer with an understanding of economics should know, those with terminal illnesses are resource sinks for society. End of life care is incredibly expensive due to the frequency of hospitalizations, the increased need for specialists’ attention, etc. Those with terminal illnesses have even more expensive health care needs. Obviously, those in the final stages of a terminal illness are no longer in any position to contribute economically to society. Their continued existence may be personally meaningful to the those who love them, but from a economic perspective they are all cost and no benefit.
If this is a parody, it just proves the Smith Maxim on Satire and the Culture of Death: They always catch up to you. Look how Oregon Medicaid has already denied chemotherapy to cancer patients but offered to pay for their assisted suicides. Moreover, some real euthanasia supporters have already made the argument. Thus, Derek Humphry and Mary Clement adopted the save-money-by-killing-the-sick argument, on page 333 of their book, Freedom to Die:
A rational argument can be made for allowing PAS [physician-assisted suicide] in order to offset the amount society and family spend on the ill, as long as it is the voluntary wish of the mentally competent terminally and incurably [note: not the same thing as terminal] ill adult. There will likely come a time when PAS becomes a commonplace occurrence for individuals who want to die and feel it is the right thing to do by their loved ones. There is no contradicting the fact that since the largest medical expenses are incurred in the final days and weeks of life, the hastened demise of people with only a short time left would free resources for others. Hundreds of billions of dollars could benefit those patients who not only can be cured but also want to live.
And don’t forget the radical environmentalists are looking toward instituting increased abortion and euthanasia as a way of reducing human population and “saving the planet.” Alas: This article may be a parody, but it is already behind the times.
June 20th, 2009 | 12:16 pm
[...] Oregon’s assisted suicide regimen and is an ever-lurking argument in the euthanasia debate. For more, check out Secondhand Smoke. And parody or not, the commenters at the original post approve. Culture of death Wesley? What [...]
June 20th, 2009 | 3:02 pm
Wesley-are you sure that this is a parody? Because, it didn’t seem any different from any of the other serious arguments I’ve read for the legalization of euthanasia.
June 20th, 2009 | 3:19 pm
SafePres: I think so because of the link to Krugman and the Claremont connection. So, I gave the benefit of the doubt. The point is that this crass utilitarianism is taken seriously in many places–as evidenced by the comments on the original site.
June 20th, 2009 | 5:15 pm
Well said. As you can see from the comments, I totally disapproved.
June 20th, 2009 | 6:53 pm
Hi Charles: Is the author serious or making a point through parody? If you know. Thanks.
June 20th, 2009 | 10:40 pm
We Claremont McKenna students do not all stand behind such crookedness.
June 20th, 2009 | 11:27 pm
Charles -
Thanks for making a point of explaining it. It’s sad when something so twisted is considered seriously enough that you have to ask if someone is joking about it or not.
What makes me laugh – bitterly, but it still does – is that people take these arguments seriously, but the arguments are maybe one step removed from the Church of Euthanasia’s stance, and nobody takes the Church seriously, except to call them vile and evil.
Honestly, the only difference between the Church of Euthanasia and Derek Humphry is that Humphry isn’t saying that he got his ideas from an extra-dimensional being that wants all humanity destroyed to save the Earth.
June 21st, 2009 | 3:08 pm
Oh yes. He’s very serious about it. I wish it were a parody.
June 22nd, 2009 | 1:39 am
That’s horrifying, Charles. Thank you for clarifying that. Wesley-perhaps you should clarify that this isn’t a parody.
June 22nd, 2009 | 2:02 am
SafePres: People can read the comments. Unless the student states for himself that he was serious, I think I’ll leave it as it is. I trust (and know) Charles, so I have no doubt it is true.
June 22nd, 2009 | 7:48 am
[...] America has serious health care problems, and as Paul Krugman makes clear in a recent column, serious cost control in the health care industry needs to be a top priority in reform. President Obama and Congressional Democrats seem poised to push for major health care reform in the upcoming months. One idea that politicians on neither the left nor the right will touch due to political sensibilities, however, could be the easiest way to save billions of dollars without affecting health care quality at all: legalizing euthanasia. Probably a good idea…unless it's your family member then you might have a different viewpoint. Secondhand Smoke [...]
June 22nd, 2009 | 12:26 pm
[...] Probably a good idea…unless it's your family member then you might have a different viewpoint. Secondhand Smoke I am 100% against it, but don't be surprised if it starts happeninig a lot, as non-religious as [...]
June 23rd, 2009 | 2:07 am
[...] Probably a good idea…unless it's your family member then you might have a different viewpoint. Secondhand Smoke probably have a different viewpoint if its [...]
June 25th, 2009 | 11:58 pm
[...] Probably a good idea…unless it's your family member then you might have a different viewpoint. Secondhand Smoke The idea that the terminally ill can choose to die with dignity and in comfort exists and most [...]
July 6th, 2009 | 8:08 pm
It doesn’t take long for the true colors to show. They may claim it’s about compassion but it’s also so-very-conveniently about money.
I wonder what the college-aged population at large thinks about this; after all, it seems like a major concern of graduating seniors is that their institution will think of them only as a number!
July 8th, 2009 | 4:48 pm
Have been tweeting and/or commenting where appropriate that this needs to be in the back of people’s heads as a very, very real possibility..
However else health care reform evolves, the topic of rationing leading directly to euthanasia and/or assisted suicide *specifically* must be a [clause] that is addressed such that it *will NOT* be an option this administration finds wholly reasonable as an avenue for balancing their budget.
Some day I might even share how I *_REALLY_* feel on the subject…….
Warmest wishes from Talking Rock.. :wink:
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