Would you donate a kidney for Obamacare?

[CaveDog]

I read a lot of arguments about how the repeal of Obamacare would cost lives and it no doubt could. To me, this still raises moral questions about how far presumed jurisdiction by government over individual health choices could be stretched in the name of saving lives. One has to ponder where it stops. For this reason I pose an extreme case for the sake of perspective.
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According to the CDC as many as 20 million Americans may suffer from chronic kidney disease, a potentially life threatening disorder. Most of us have two kidneys but only need one to survive. In order to save the lives of possibly millions, government could simply mandate that everyone register their kidneys. When a match is found, government could simply mandate (for the greater good) that the owner of the matching kidney report to a hospital to donate one. With modern surgical techniques the risk to the donor is limited and lives could be saved. Millions could be freed from dialysis.
Not donating a kidney is essentially a health choice. If government can make one mandate regarding health choices then why could the same logic could not be stretched to include such mandatory organ donations?
Of course this is unlikely to occur in our lifetimes but can we guarantee that by acknowledging that government has some sort of stake in personal health care decisions we don't open the door to extremes for future generations?
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Of course, I have long been opposed to Obamacare on philosophical grounds. I see any mandate regarding personal health choices as an infringement on the principle of self-ownership.
I am, however, always open to debate and prepared to modify my position based on a good argument.

 

[CMPancake]

At this point I shouldn't be surprised about how far people are willing to stretch the slippery slope argument when it comes to Obamacare, yet here I am scratching my head at how anyone believes the ACA could possibly ever lead to mandated kidney removal.

 

[Reformedfindlay]

At this point I shouldn't be surprised about how far people are willing to stretch the slippery slope argument when it comes to Obamacare, yet here I am scratching my head at how anyone believes the ACA could possibly ever lead to mandated kidney removal.

Thanks for taking my kidney from me Obama....

 

[CaveDog]

"At this point I shouldn't be surprised about how far people are willing to stretch the slippery slope argument when it comes to Obamacare, yet here I am scratching my head at how anyone believes the ACA could possibly ever lead to mandated kidney removal."

Not saying it will, just an illustration of a principle.

 

[CanadaJohn]

There's great opposition here in Canada to mandatory organ and tissue donation for those who are dead - even creating a default for donation that a person has to actively register against or their organs get taken upon death. I can't imagine any country, other than perhaps Nazi Germany, would consider organ harvesting of the living as a reasonable approach to healthcare.

 

[CMPancake]

"At this point I shouldn't be surprised about how far people are willing to stretch the slippery slope argument when it comes to Obamacare, yet here I am scratching my head at how anyone believes the ACA could possibly ever lead to mandated kidney removal."

Not saying it will, just an illustration of a principle.

I'm saying you're using a slippery slope fallacy to defend your stance against Obamacare. "Oh if we're forced to buy health insurane, what's next mandated kidney removal? SHUT DOWN BIG GUBBERMENT"

 

[CaveDog]

I'm saying you're using a slippery slope fallacy to defend your stance against Obamacare. "Oh if we're forced to buy health insurane, what's next mandated kidney removal? SHUT DOWN BIG GUBBERMENT"


Actually I'm not even opposed to government getting involved in making health care available, just the chosen method.

If access to health care is the issue then why not create a taxpayer funded program to cover the uninsurable? Instead we get this dog and pony show that, to my thinking, sets a negative precedent regarding government and personal choices.

 

[Henrin]

There's great opposition here in Canada to mandatory organ and tissue donation for those who are dead - even creating a default for donation that a person has to actively register against or their organs get taken upon death. I can't imagine any country, other than perhaps Nazi Germany, would consider organ harvesting of the living as a reasonable approach to healthcare.

I am so sick and tired of people saying I'm selfish for not being an organ donor. Look, it's my goddamn organs, so if I don't want your dirty claws in my body ripping things out of it that is my choice to make, not yours. If I say, no, I don't want my heart pumping blood in your blood that is my choice. I don't care if I'm dead and it will just be burned up or rot. I just don't. It's not my problem you like burgers and need a heart transplant. Selfish? Bleh. Telling me I have to give you parts of my body is selfish. There, I said it. I hate people that feel they can guilt trip me or call me names to get me to do things. **** them.

 

[CanadaJohn]

I am so sick and tired of people saying I'm selfish for not being an organ donor. Look, it's my goddamn organs, so if I don't want your dirty claws in my body ripping things out of it that is my choice to make, not yours. If I say, no, I don't want my heart pumping blood in your blood that is my choice. I don't care if I'm dead and it will just be burned up or rot. I just don't. It's not my problem you like burgers and need a heart transplant. Selfish? Bleh. Telling me I have to give you parts of my body is selfish. There, I said it. I hate people that feel they can guilt trip me or call me names to get me to do things. **** them.

I'm not sure why that rant was directed at me, but if it helped reduce your blood pressure and delay the inevitable stroke, I'm happy to be of service.

 

[CaveDog]

"I can't imagine any country, other than perhaps Nazi Germany, would consider organ harvesting of the living as a reasonable approach to healthcare."



Again, I'm not saying such a thing is actually viable. It's an extreme (and highly unlikely) example meant to illustrate a point. However, Nazi atrocities did in fact happen which shows that even the unthinkable is possible under the right conditions. Some will brush that off as a worn out slippery slope theory but it wasn't a theory in the 1940s. It happened.

 

[Henrin]

I'm not sure why that rant was directed at me, but if it helped reduce your blood pressure and delay the inevitable stroke, I'm happy to be of service.

It wasn't. I was just venting and used the word 'you' to reference those I'm venting towards. Sorry for the confusion.

There is a lot of little assholes in the states that consider you some sort of selfish prick if you aren't a organ donor. It's the old "but you aren't using it anymore" argument as if that even matters.

 

[CanadaJohn]

"I can't imagine any country, other than perhaps Nazi Germany, would consider organ harvesting of the living as a reasonable approach to healthcare."



Again, I'm not saying such a thing is actually viable. It's an extreme (and highly unlikely) example meant to illustrate a point. However, Nazi atrocities did in fact happen which shows that even the unthinkable is possible under the right conditions. Some will brush that off as a worn out slippery slope theory but it wasn't a theory in the 1940s. It happened.

Just wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to DP and also advise you that at the bottom of a poster's comment box, there's a button for "Reply with Quote". If you want to reply specifically to something someone else posted, if you click on "Reply with Quote", that person's comments will appear as part of your reply, you can bold to highlight the words you're responding to or even delete out all the words you don't want to respond to, and when you post your reply, the poster you quoted will get a notice that you responded and they will know it was directed at them. Saves you from doing a lot of typing input or cutting and pasting.

 

[Dittohead not!]

At this point I shouldn't be surprised about how far people are willing to stretch the slippery slope argument when it comes to Obamacare, yet here I am scratching my head at how anyone believes the ACA could possibly ever lead to mandated kidney removal.

Since all of the doctors were to flee in droves, according to the naysayers at least, who would be left to do all of the mandated kidney transplants?

 

[CMPancake]

Since all of the doctors were to flee in droves, according to the naysayers at least, who would be left to do all of the mandated kidney transplants?

Lawyers and politicians.

 

[CaveDog]

Thanks John.