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UK Death Panel

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Six days ago, the European Court of Human Rights sided against the parents of Charlie Gard, a severely ill boy, refusing to allow them to take their infant son to America where he could receive full (and privately funded) experimental treatment. The court ruled that removing the child from the hospital would cause him “significant harm” — and authorized the termination of life support.

Yesterday, this site quoted Ben Shapiro on the case. Shapiro sees this sad story as a grand demonstration of what is wrong with government-funded and -managed health care:

Bernie Sanders tweets about how nobody should be denied care because they can’t afford it? But that’s what happens all the time under socialized medicine — the difference being, it’s not about you not being able to afford it, it is about the government not being able to afford it.

Economists tell us that, in a world of scarcity, there will be rationing, willy nilly: either by price (according to consumer and producer choices) or else by government diktat.

Last week, the European Court of Human Rights did its due diligence to ration resources — serving as a Death Panel.

The scheduled to pull the plug on Charlie last Friday, but there’s been a last-minute reprieve — no doubt a result of pressure from America and the Vatican.

Though the doctor who testified before the court insisted that any American medical institution would have provided the treatment he offers, the best the Gards can apparently hope for, now, is to be allowed to take Charlie home to die.

Think of it as socialized medicine in action.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.


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5 replies on “UK Death Panel”

Paul, thanks for writing on this. So often Libertarian solutions are viewed as heartless. Compared to a mythical perfect world they often are. Arguing against the myth of socialism, communism, benevolent dictators, and unicorns we often look like we are riding and ass. Reality and real world possibilities kinda different.

Absolutely disgusting! Not being “allowed” to possibly save their son shows just exactly what kind of treatment that AVERAGE people can expect if socialized medicine comes here to America. Wonder what would have been decided if the child had been the offspring of someone from the House of Lords. My deepest condolences to the parents.

Shocking! Pitiful! & depressing! I am going to tweet this column so other scan know. Thanks for writing it. Now terrified for USA should this come to our shores.

Why don’y you actually read the Court Case and evidence which was submitted by numerous experts and independely reviewed by a team of international experts.

In terms of Hirano he was invited to examine the child in January but chose not to, indeed he didn’t examine him until the 18 July. Hirano also claimed at the High Court in April via videolink that the treatment weas unlkely to help Charlie. As for the UK we have some highly respected Mitochondrial resesearch facilities at the Medical Research Council Biology Unit, Oxford University, UCL Institute of Neurology, the Wellcome Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne etc. Whilst the UK is responsible for the discovery of everything from vaccines through to antiseptics through to antibiotics through to the structure of DNA through to MRI Machines and CT Scanners through to one in five of the worlds major pharma drugs and is also responsible for many cancer treatments at places such as the Institute for Cancer Research, as having numerous other universities and world famous hospitals.

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