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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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 OPINION 
16

Ezekiel Emanuel No 'Doctor Death'

Reform opponents grossly distort bioethicist's record

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(Newser) – To hear conservative bloggers tell it, Ezekiel Emanuel, Rahm’s brother, is a bean-counting euthanasia enthusiast who wants to deny care for the disabled. The New York Post dubbed him a “deadly doctor,” and Sarah Palin warned supporters to fear his “Orwellian thinking.” It’s pretty ironic, writes Alex Koppelman for Salon, because Emanuel is one of the country’s top medical ethicists, and staunchly opposes even voluntary euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.

“Legalizing euthanasia … would be of no benefit,” Emanuel once wrote. “It would be a way of avoiding the complex and arduous efforts required of doctors…to ensure that dying patients receive humane, dignified care.” A much-quoted Post op-ed takes many of Emanuel’s other statements out of context, implying that, among other things, he supported “communitarianism,” or reserving care for the able-bodied. In context, Emanuel explicitly said he was only examining, not defending, the philosophy.

Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, special adviser for health care at the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Washington, March 11, 2009.
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, special adviser for health care at the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Washington, March 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, special adviser for health care at the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Washington, March 11, 2009.
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, special adviser for health care at the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the American Medical Association's annual conference in Washington, March 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, special adviser for health care at the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the American Medical Association's annual conference, March 11, 2009.
Dr. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, special adviser for health care at the Office of Management and Budget, speaks at the American Medical Association's annual conference, March 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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16 comments
VIEWING:
 
BackAgain
Aug 11, 09 10:34 AM CDT
Great we need a bean counter deciding anything other than how many beans are in a jar. Anything Govt. touches turns to crap. YAAA more govt. Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
-3
IN RESPONSE:
Fondue
Aug 11, 09 10:48 AM CDT
"Anything Govt. touches turns to crap" like the military - total crap. Even Bill Kristol admits the military has the best health care in the world.
Vote up! Vote down!
+4
IN RESPONSE:
piyrwq
Aug 11, 09 10:52 AM CDT
Really? Shall we compare to other government run systems, like all those in Europe? The statistics say it all. The US system is an international joke. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_lif_exp_at_bir_yea_tot_pop-expectancy-birth-years-total-population http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_exp_per_cap_cur_us-expenditure-per-capita-current-us
Vote up! Vote down!
+3
IN RESPONSE:
piyrwq
Aug 11, 09 10:52 AM CDT
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_lif_exp_at_bir_yea_tot_pop-expectancy-birth-years-total-population http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_exp_per_cap_cur_us-expenditure-per-capita-current-us
Vote up! Vote down!
+1
IN RESPONSE:
Fondue
Aug 11, 09 11:02 AM CDT
That's right. We pay the most in the world and our life expectancy is worse than Canada's.
Vote up! Vote down!
+6

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