Wesley J. Smith

As I watch Compassion and Choices (once the Hemlock Society), it appears to have a couple of long term goals.  First and foremost, of course, is the complete legalization of assisted suicide throughout the country, supposedly restricted to the terminally ill under guidelines.  Then, the . . . . Continue Reading »

It isn’t a “cure” (a term way overused in health care stories), but it could one day improve the lives and health of millions of people with spinal cord injury. From the story:A man left paralyzed after a car accident was able to stand and take steps after electrical stimulation of . . . . Continue Reading »

The NHS—for which our temporary head of Medicare Donald Berwick swoons—continues to show us the perils of centralized control of health care and single payer budgeting.  Now, not only is there rationing by QALYs under NICE, but Canadian-length waits for care.  From the Guardian . . . . Continue Reading »

I have noted several times that we in the West are becoming rampant public policy promise breakers. Indeed, it is getting to the point that I don’t see why anybody ever believes the promises made in public policy involving intimate issues. They apply until they don’t—and if you are . . . . Continue Reading »

I received a nice surprise in the mail today, being forwarded to me from the Discovery Institute where the note was originally sent.  A very nice reader by the name of Joe sent me a Starbuck’s card to have a cup of coffee on him, acknowledging one of my favorite phrases, “...that . . . . Continue Reading »

The Center for Bioethics and Culture asked me to expand upon comments I have made here noting that the politics of ESCR seem to have the power to supersede the rule of law. Not being the shy and retiring type, I immediately agreed.  The result is now out.  From “Embryonic Stem Cell . . . . Continue Reading »

Only in San Francisco. A ballot initiative has made the ballot that would make circumcision a crime. From the Wall Street Journal story:A group seeking to ban the circumcision of male children in San Francisco has succeeded in getting their controversial measure on the November ballot, meaning . . . . Continue Reading »

Two years ago I was invited by Priests for Life to present to its staff about euthanasia.  After my speech, I did an interview with Fr. Pavone that has now been abridged and put on YouTube. So, I thought I would share it with you all.In the excerpt clips, I discuss human exceptionalism, . . . . Continue Reading »

Oh good grief: In the wake of the Arnold, Edwards, Clinton, Spitzer, Ensign, Berlusconi, JFK, Strauss-Kahn,  et. al. sexual scandals, Time has a piece blaming—and almost excusing—their hound dog ways on evolution. From “The Caligula Effect:”Human males have never been . . . . Continue Reading »

I wish I could say I was surprised. After decades of assertions that judgmentalism has no place in medicine, we have recently seen advocacy for a return of such judgmentalism aimed at a different cadre of patients—specifically, the obese and smokers—based on the greater likelihood of . . . . Continue Reading »