Obama: Old people don’t need life saving treatments they can take a pain pill (and be left to die) – UPDATED!
Posted by iusbvision on June 26, 2009
[Welcome Associated Content readers! – Editor]
UPDATE – See this video from Obama advisor and former Labor Secretery Robert Reich – LINK.
Take out the fluff talk…. and this is what you are left with. Sick ……
Transcript with Rush Limbaugh’s comments:
Member of the audience. Jane Sturm: “My mother is now over 105. But at 100, the doctors said to her, ‘I can’t do anything more unless you have a pacemaker.’ I said, ‘Go for it.’ She said, ‘Go for it.’ But the specialist said, ‘No, she’s too old.’ But when the other specialist saw her and saw her joy of life, he said, ‘I’m going for it.’ That was over five years ago. My question to you is: Outside the medical criteria for prolonging life for somebody who is elderly, is there any consideration that can be given for a certain spirit, a certain joy of living, a quality of life, or is it just a medical cutoff at a certain age?”
Obama: “I don’t think that we can make judgments based on people’s ‘spirit.’ Uh, that would be, uh, a pretty subjective decision to be making. I think we have to have rules that, uh, say that, uh, we are going to provide good quality care for all people. End-of-life care is one of the most difficult sets of decisions that we’re going to have to make. But understand that those decisions are already being made in one way or another. If they’re not being made under Medicare and Medicaid, they’re being made by private insurers. At least we can let doctors know — and your mom know — that you know what, maybe this isn’t going to help. Maybe you’re better off, uhh, not having the surgery, but, uhh, taking the painkiller.” Do you realize how cold and heartless that answer is? This woman is asking about her mother. And everywhere she went, except one doctor, refused to put in the pacemaker. “Nah, she’s too old; she’s going to die anyway.”
So they found a specialist: “Maybe this woman really loves living. I’ll put it in.” She’s lived five years with the pacemaker, and still Obama: “Maybe you’re better off to tell your mother to take a pill, take a painkiller.” See, we have to have rules. “We have to have rules. Your mother should have died five years ago, lady. She would have been better off taking that painkiller.” Who says we have to have his rules? The President of the United States is not a king. He’s not an autocrat. He’s not a ruler. He doesn’t get to set the rules. Obama has taken it upon himself to do so. This woman found a way to get her mother a pacemaker. With Obamacare, you just heard the answer: It wouldn’t have happened.
Chilling.
UPDATE –
The IUSB Vision Weblog 
Angelo said
It’s interesting how Obama’s statement seems to start out as advocating awareness of unnecessary, and possibly harmful/lethal overmedication, but ends up advocating euthanasia. From my understanding and experience the high level of side effects and low level of effectiveness of many prescription medications is indicative of, not only an inconsiderate pursuit of gain, but also the promotion of euthanasia. There’s a book I’ve been meaning to read called “Our Daily Meds” and it is about the marketing and manufacture of often unnecesary and usually harmul drugs. Another point I’d like to make is that, in my opinion, the impact of support and authorization for embryonic stem cell research is less about helping people than numbing the collective conscience (to things like partial-birth abortion and euthanasia) by the embracing of immorality.
problemat1que said
This video is EDITED.
Just go on google and find a full transcript of this.
transcript jane sturm 105 should do the trick.
Obama actually says:
“I don’t want bureaucracies making those decisions,… they are already being made… If not under Medicare & Medicaid, they’re being made by private insurers.”
About the pacemaker:
“that’s a good example of where-if we’ve got experts looking at this, … that the pacemaker may ultimately save money, then we potentially COULD HAVE DONE THAT FASTER.”
Instead this vid cuts to a point where he talks about how we all could save money on OTHER MEDICATION THAT DOESN’T HELP.
I’m sorry people, this is so obvious.
DON’T BE FOOLED.
AGAINST HEALTHCARE REFORM ARE ONLY THE BIG INSURANCE CORPORATIONS AND THEIR HELPERS, because they want you continue to give them money for nothing.
“Pre-existing conditions” and “experimental treatments”, anyone?
[IUSB Vision Editor Responds:
First of all, the show was an hour long and the clip is two minutes so in that sense it is edited, but the clip presented keeps the context as intended. As proof, in the comments below is the video of the entire conversation which bears this out.
Please,the evidence is clear that Obama is in Wall Street’s and Goldman Sachs pockets (see Corporatism category).
Look at how the stimulus money is being wasted –
The cronyism, the kickbacks, the tax money to ACORN, the Democrats unwillingmess to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac cause they keep sending money to the campaign cofferes of the Democratic Leadership.
Look at the House Health Bill, it gives them the power to deny care to the critically ill and aged and others just like is being done in Britain and canada right now. Recent history in other countries who adopted this route proves beyond reasonable doubbt that it is not people like me who wish to deny people care, it is people like you. I have dozens upon dozens of articles and studies showing this simple truth.
People have to pull their own teeth in England, breast cancer patients being denied meds because it is too expensive, wait lists for surgeries that go over a year. In Canada when you sign up for a family doctor there is a three year wait list. These incedents are common and proved beyond doubt.
The government has medicare and social security and the general budget broke and in debt obligations that are hopeless to meet. What confidence can we have that this would be any different. Even the Democrats own CBO say that this health care bill will raise costs.
What we need is a unique American plan, a private public partnership one that covers catastrophic and pre-existing conditions, and the rest of the system that has REAL market forces in place to reduce waste and inflation. Think about it, what incentive to keep costs down is there if “who cares medicare will just pay for it” – imagine how much food would cost if we had government food insurance. – Editor]
Phluffmuffin said
Whether or not you agree with what problemat1que said regarding the insurance companies, his point about that being an edited video is true. (And very easy to look up) Why you still have this article posted on your website confuses me. You must know it’s edited and that it is very misleading.
Chilling.
[ It was an hour long show and you see a 2 minute clip, so in that sense it is edited, but since the entire video and the transcripts and other statements form White House advisors tell the same story; to claim that it was edited to change the context or meaning is just a lie as like you said, anyone can look up the entire program and the transcript – in fact I dare you to try.
Everyone who saw this on ABC knew what Obama was saying. If Bush had said anything like this the media and Democrats would have had a cow. You saying that the clip is misleading tells me that you either didn’t see it live or are just lying about it.
Keep in mind that three presidential advisors, Cass Sunstien, Ezekiel Emanuel, Robert Reich, and John Holdren are all on the record in writing about population control and/or similar ideas.
– Editor]
Alexander Barnett said
Edited for brevity? Please. It was edited to make your point. If it hadn’t been edited your point would have been lost.
[IUSB Vision Editor Responds:
Bull… – The entire video is all over the place and is posted in the comment section in this thyread for all to see.
It was an hour long show and you see a 2 minute clip, so in that sense it is edited, but since the entire video and the transcripts and other statements from White House advisors tell the same story; to claim that it was edited to change the context or meaning is just a lie. Anyone can look up the entire program and the transcript – in fact I dare you to try.
Just to rub the facts in your face – take a look at this video from Robert Reich
Alex, coming to my web site and displaying your ignorance is no way to advance your fledgeling acting career.
At least when James Woods speaks, he knows what he is talking about. – Editor]
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Obama: Old people don’t need life saving treatments they can take a pain pill (and be left to die) – UPDATED! « The IUSB Vision Weblog…
Chris said
The original post was edited to present your anti Obama agenda. Your distorted quote tacked on my post above supports the same agenda. Everyone should just listen to the whole interview and try to keep an open mind about it (and the President) as they do.
Here is a link to the whole conversation.
IUSB Vision Editor Responds:
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Leann Waver said
Obama: Old people don
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meyati said
What frustrates me is that MediCare, DEA, NIH won’t let doctors give me a pain killer– So why is Obama telling us to take pain killers? I had a section of my nose and lip cut out for cancer-NO PAIN KILLER– The inside of my mouth swelled up. My nose was sideway after being stitched up—Nobody would give me anything for the pain. I hate Obama
Virginia Tilley said
As a metastatic cancer patient I’m truly sorry for Meyati’s battle with pain. But (a) she gives no details whatever on the background of her pain management or the reasons her doctors are denying her what she think she should have, and (b) blaming Obama for her not getting some form of pain killer is nonsense. He has nothing to do with decisions like that, OF COURSE.
I’ve now watched the video debated above, and it’s obvious that Obama is not advising people to just “take a pill” instead of have surgery. He’s talking in general about difficult end-of-life decisions that we will all face eventually, and that I will face soon. When is surgery going to be worth the pain, recovery, stress and quality of life impact that it will inevitably bring? Sometimes we decide the chance of living longer is worth all that. Sometimes we decide it’s not. Americans have very little support for thinking sensibly about a peaceful, sober death. We see death as pure failure and disaster, not as the capstone of one’s life. This leaves people to approach death with terror and “anything but that” desperate measures, which adds unnecessarily to our upset and stress. At that point, deciding on palliative care (called here a “pill”) can be the kindest and most dignified solution. For some of us (me?) that may happen with life just gets too hard, at any age. But if you’re 95 and still believe you have a decade to go and don’t want to pack it in yet, then the example in the video of the elderly patient seeking second opinions in a quest for a pacemaker and getting it is exactly what you should do. No first-world medical system on earth operates differently.
One other thing. I started my cancer care in Australia. I had excellent surgery, excellent follow-up, multiple doctors (surgeon, radiologist, medical oncologist, orthopedic surgeon)and cutting-edge medical care. It was all handled in a beautiful modern hospital. It was also fast: I was scheduled for surgery three days after my diagnosis, had the CT, MRI and other scans, and then a second surgery for a damaged bone. And in the Australian system, NONE of that care costs a DIME. Yes, the national systems have their downside: because of outrageous pricing: the UK has been battling about paying for the very drug I’m on here — which is covered for me thanks to Obamacare. Personally, I think it’s outrageous that the UK national health doesn’t pay for this particular drug as it’s a lifesaver. But before Obamacare, nobody paid for it.
So these stupid stories about people in Canada or wherever having to extract their own teeth really are greatly suspect. I don’t doubt this blogger can dredge of “dozens upon dozens of articles” confirming his worldview. But those of us dealing with mortality issues know what care we get and where, and until Obamacare the US system was a dirty, cruel, vicious, heartless atrocity. I’d be dead now without it, due to its elimination of the pre-existing-condition clause. Sure, Obamacare has some bad-start-up issues: it’s been a mess sometimes. But it’s a BIG step in the right direction. And I’d like to see this blogger walk up to my garage mechanic neighbor, who just had a $100,000 heart surgery free due to Obamacare because he got insurance he couldn’t get otherwise, and tell him that he’s deluded and that Obamacare must be repealed and that Obama is the enemy of mankind. See what happens to you.
Virginia Tilley said
One more thing, responding to the first post above (I hope a second message is okay). It seems to me obvious that what Obama is saying about feelings is that medical decisions can’t be driven by feelings alone. Take the risk of inserting a pacemaker in an elderly patient. The stats are bad for doing that. Apparently the first doctor didn’t think it likely to work without killing her. If she had died when the procedure was done, we might even now be blaming the second doctor for doing a high-risk procedure that snatched away the time she had left. So no, you can’t make tough medical calls solely on the basis of feelings. Sure, feelings can be one important factor if other indications are positive. But on the other hand, should a doctor deny care because he/she doesn’t perceive in a patient the right “spirit”? Would you trust any surgeon – who by the nature of consultations doesn’t know much about you – with a subjective evaluation of your “spirit?”
With respect, I’d add that it would also help if you didn’t put imaginary quotes in quote marks. Obama didn’t say or intend to say, most of that. I know it was a rhetorical device, but twisting words and then putting the twists in quotes can confuse people. Made me read it three times to sort it out.
Finally a last word on euthanasia although it was just quickly mentioned above (and although nothing in the video mentioned). This is, of course, mostly the bogus old “death panels” canard to let Big Pharma keep raking in the bucks,but it lives on. And I’ll thank healthy do-gooders yelling about it to just butt out. You think you’re being humane, but for millions of us your strident opposition is only blocking sensible and vitally needed discussions about how our society wants to handle the end of life in a population facing a boom among the elderly. Please understand that your obstructionism comes at a very high cost – miserable protracted suffering by people left stranded by blind legal restrictions in the world of hospitals and drugs, watching their own human dignity and even sense of themselves be ruined and lost. I don’t know what decisions I’ll face when my time is imminently up, which for me is rather soon. But I do know that when I make those hard choices I don’t want ideologically driven strangers, whom I don’t know and who don’t know me, ordering my doctors to follow rules I consider heartless, crudely simplistic and fundamentally cruel. It’s MY life and MY choice, and I don’t want you in the room when I’m sorting this out.
meyati said
Try jogging and tripping-Jamming your arm into the rotator cuff. That is a bad football injury or bad for any other sport. They wouldn’t give me anything–About 4 months later- I was trying to load bricks in my pickup- my shoulder gave a loud pop, and I regained full range of motion.. The health people here don’t want to spend money or give pills. I did my own physical therapy.
I had a cancer below my nose. A section of my lip was cut out. The side of my nose was slit up and off. part of the septum was cut out, part of the sinus bone was taken for biopsy too. I was sewn up, my nose re-attached, and sent home. I wasn’t given any pain killer. nothing–Even the inside of my mouth swelled up. I was that way for about 2 weeks. That was almost 6 years later- and my lip still cracks and peels, it hurts. And things like this still continue in my state.
Try that for pain— Obama signed this—-it has his name- and he took possession of this and it’s his—- Don’t you realize the people that are hurting from this don’t care about you and your friend——-
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