January 25, 2013
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About Ethics
Since everyone is all lathered up about the “ethics debate of the day” (fat shaming), I find myself curious.
When was the last time the public GAVE a good goddamn about “ethics”?
People speed, talk on their cell phones while driving, engage in all sorts of “unethical behavior”…pretty much on a daily basis. Most rarely stop and think about it. They are much more likely to think of OTHER people’s behavior when the topics of ethics comes up, than their own. Several years back, the chief ethicist (yes, an actual job) at Princeton University caught NINE kinds of hell for suggesting that we were finally to the point of rationing health care…and that it was more ethical to treat people who could be cured, than to use the resources on those who cannot. It was difficult to think about. But it was a reality.
That dingbat Sarah Palin called it “death panels”. That would suggest that we all had equal access to basic health care now…and she whined about people killing off the handicapped. Nice try. But if you know anyone who ever waited for a transplant organ, you know a bit more about real life. Because the demand is so great, and the donor pool so small, doctors were forced to come up with a system of elimination. “First come, first served” wasn’t cutting it. So they came up with guidelines based in ethics.
Who gets the kidney? The 90 year old, or the 30 year old?
Bear in mind, a healthy kidney has a 30 year lifespan. (Bet you never knew that…donor organs are not forever.)
People who need organs due to personal abuse (lungs for smokers, kidneys or livers for addicts or alcoholics) are exempt from most donor lists, or given the very lowest priority. The logic is that you contributed to your illness. Someone who got kidney disease as a result of genetics did not. No one is saying you DESERVE it…but they are saying that someone else should not take second fiddle to your issues.
The final qualification is the one that most people find the most difficult.
Who will benefit the most? Who will get the longest run? Once you are on the lists, the sickest people tend to move to the top…with exceptions. Multiple organ failure may disqualify you. (Yes, they could give you a kidney, but if your liver is also failing, should they?)
Ethics is about asking hard questions.
But these days, people (that would be you and I) don’t seem to do that much. A friend said something interesting the other day. He said that “Liberals want to give everyone everything…pie in the sky.” And my immediate thought was “Yes, but conservatives love to pretend that the playing field is level, everyone has a shot, and “hard work” pays off…all the while ignoring how hard the working poor actually DO work…just to stay alive.”
It occurred to me later that the reason most large problems go unsolved is because they truly have no “easy” answers. And anyone who thinks they do is a drooling idiot. Education? The entire system needs to be re-done. No one wants to. They mule and whine about expenses, and not approving of the changes that might be made…and end up wasting more money on a broken system. Brilliant. Corrections? Get tough on crime! But don’t build more prisons, and don’t spend ANY money on the ones we have. Privatization was proven to be an expensive mistake with prisons…but citizens resent spending money on “criminals”. SO they spend MORE.
So now we’re back to ethics. Thinking of solutions to DIFFICULT questions. I think the “fat shaming” ethicist should go back to school. He is ignoring way too much. And he should be focusing on something useful…not something that gives people the excuse to do what they already did. Why don’t we shame people who don’t have organ donor cards? Why don’t we make people who hurt someone else in an accident put a special tag on their cars, so people will know what they did? They used to brand people—so the public would know what you did wrong. Now? We settle for encouraging cruelty.
My…we’ve come a long way.
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Comments (14)
I can’t believe the number of posters that thought it was a good idea.
I have a friend that has health insurance through her work that is so poor and bad that most good Doctors don’t take them. I wonder if this is a normal for most who have bad insurance. It would be sad that only those on Medicaid have better doctors in the long run. Sad it is a shame health care reform is so little compared to what it could be for everyone, if only Congress would just see its great potential.
They were doing the lemming approach. I read a comment the other day that hit home. These days, you can only hate gays and homeless and fat people…with impunity. Racism isn’t gone…but people now feel reluctant to name themselves as racial bigots. I guess sometimes they just need someone to hate…or blame.
@Ikwa - hey lady!
I think Congress sees just fine. but they already have claimed their allegiance…and it isn’t to the “people”.
I got an email from a friend this morning, who happens to be a lawyer. Several years ago, he and I had a meeting with a local legislator about the insurance industry practices about denying claims. He tried to point out that it was not an accident—but intentional delay on the part of the industry. And the well dressed, highly intelligent woman looked back at him…and disagreed.
Fast forward to this morning. The SAME legislator just put her name on a bill to sanction the companies if they keep blowing off the victims of Sandy. It took a MAJOR disaster for her to admit what was already fact years back. That stuff pisses me off.
There are volumes to say about ethics in the U.S. or rather lack of them.
The Republican Party is again engaged in a nationwide voter suppression campaign. Realizing they cannot win a national election based on their agendas they are trying to subvert the worth of votes of likely Democrat and Independent voters.
The majority of Americans support:
Roe v Wade
Same sex marriage
Leaving Social Security and Medicare untouched or making minor tweaks. Not privatizing SS nor turning Medicare into a voucher program
The President’s proposals to address gun violence:
It’s funny that when asked if they want universal background checks, stronger enforcement of gun laws, a ban on assault weapons, a ban on high capacity ammo clips, more programs of detection and help for the mentally ill and government funding for schools that want to beef up security the majority of Americans want to see each of these implemented. Yet when asked if they are for Obama’s proposal only 45% want it. They want the list of points in his proposal by majorities ranging from 55% to 92% but say they don’t want his proposal. I believe that disparity is due to NRA propaganda that Obama “wants to take your guns and your Second Amendment rights away”, which of course is a complete lie…speaking of being unethical.
As to some of the points you made, I remember when in the 1980s “the me generation” was born along with Reagan’s “greed is good” economics. Here we are 30 years later and I’m seeing a change in public sentiment….that greed is not good and we are in this together. I hope.
@TheSutraDude - I keep hoping, Dude…but it seems that people PREFER to blame. UCLA released a study about obesity, saying there WAS a strong genetic link…and got lambasted.
“Now the FATTIES will have an excuse…”. Strange…people can accept genetic diseases, links to drug addiction, and alcoholism—but weight? No ma’am…you’re just a pig.
I have a child with a one in a million, genetically linked issue. She could only have gotten it from TWO parents with the same genetic recessive. We are blessed…she will be fine. And she can’t pass it onto her own child unless she too, meets the one in a million person who ALSO shares a recessive so rare, there is no test for it. The odds of that are beyond minuscule.
But if you look at decades of photos—generations of people, weight IS genetic. Tell that to the doubters, and they will mock you.
@galadrial - I think in many cases they are not doubters. They are haters, unhappy people who get their few rises a day by finding people to hate on.
@TheSutraDude - Just so.
Must be miserable to live that way.
@galadrial - It is miserable. Imagine how empty the rest of a person’s life is if making fun of someone is the habitual highlight of that person’s life.
@TheSutraDude - I guess it’s better than looking at their own lives…and wondering how they can improve themselves. But it’s a crappy way to live.
@galadrial - It is a crappy way to live. Kids can be mean to each other. Some never grow out of it.
You would think that the Republicans would realize the health care system we have had is unsustainable except for the very rich. Oh wait they do know they are treated like kings due to their own good health care system.
People who are obese have gotten a break with the stomach tying operation. The operation also cures some diabetes too.
Will we do more preventative health care measures? People who quit drinking and smoking add years to their lives. Adding more exercise into your life increases the benefit of living longer. What good is living if your body is not in great shape?
@PPhilip - Well Phillip…I know a few who had the gastric bypass, but it’s tricky. I’ve read the reports about it “reversing diabetes”, but the final report is still not in. (I lived long term with a diabetic.) The Procedure has issues. It can cause kidney damage, and for some is not a permanent solution. Three to five years after the surgery, a lot of patients gain back all the weight—plus more.
The doctor who developed gastric bypass is on record as being horrified how cavalierly it is being prescribed. He came up with it to help seriously obese patients—400 pounds or over, to ease the strain on their hearts…but today it is given to people with as little as 50 pounds to lose—regardless of the health consequences…which are vast.
Hmmm. I got an alert about Granny’s message…and even read it…but it seems to be missing. I hear you lady. And Foreign Aid aside, they also continue to give tax credits to companies that outsource jobs…then BLAME the down sized for not being able to make their bills.
Nice racket…