DEATH PANELS, OBAMACARE, LIBERTARIANS AND TERRI SCHIAVO

Many right-of-center libertarians people (who consider themselves pro-choice, folks like Instapundit) felt that justice had been served by the Schiavo decision in which the State permitted the ex-husband to pull the plug on his ex-wife.

Abortion is a right to many of these folks and so is state-assisted spouse-a-cide posing as suicide.

I felt the Schiavo decision was a horrible decision, and that in the absence of clear instructions from the patient the state shouldn't intervene especially on the side of an ex-spouse and against the family of the patient - and on the side of death.

I wrote, at the time, that many death-row murderers routinely get more due process than did Terri's family.

NOW, LOOKING BACK: I think that what happened was a precursor of healthcare rationing AKA "Obamacare Death Panels". And I think that probably many of these right-of -center libertarian who are opposed to Obamacare, and "death panels" (or more accurately, the inevitable rationing that comes with state0controlled healthcare) is a major reason why.

In the context of Obamacare, these right-of-center libertarians have no problem accepting that health decisions - especially end-of-life ones - should be made by the patient and her/his doctor and NOT the State. They understand clearly that the state shouldn't intervene and that it inevitably will intervene when its paying the bill.

I think the right-of-center libertarians should rethink their Schiavo positions. (REMINDER: The State wasn't paying the bill for Terri; the insurance companies were.)

In the absence of clear instructions the state should err on the side of life.

And keeping the State dirty stinking paws outside these decisions is a major reason to oppose a state takeover of the healthcare industry.

MORE HERE ON WHY FOLKS IN COMAS SHOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED DEAD AND KILLED.