I don't know. The Obamacare debate isn't that interesting or compelling. It seems to make sense that our system will be better under Obamacare than it is now - but only time will tell.

The more interesting question is how we are going to handle the coming advances in medicine with the "right to healthcare". What I mean by that is are we going to expend huge dollars to keep people alive at ridiculous costs?

I've seen so many cool videos on the sift - like a pig lung receiving gene therapy in a box before transplant - but all those really cool things are going to cost a lot of money. How do we most effectively allocate our resources and where do we draw the line?

Also, this video kind of makes its argument on an ad populum argument...

I can't vote on what I don't know.
I don't believe in a God Theory, and basic evolution, from single cell to humans as we know them, can sometimes seem quite a jump.

The idea that earth was somehow seeded is interesting, whether from asteroid or from terrestrial colonization, this concept has too many variables to predict.

I believe we may never know and I'm okay with that. I'm going to have to be since they'll never figure it out in my lifetime.

If I "have to" choose, I'd say we are a colony. I'm not going into a 12-page write-up here but this concept seems to make the most sense to me. Of course I have no proof so, I'm not going to strap on a sandwich board and stand on the street corners any time soon

At some point, back at the beginning of time, the term evolution is the only term that can describe origin but I'm sure it looks completely different that what we can picture. What ancient man refers to as gods, could have held it's origins in transplanting, colonization, teraforming and so on, but where did "they" come from? They evolved from something else.

So the term, "Evolution," still stands for me - it just might look different in reality.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Expect, From, Hair, Transplants' to 'redacted' - edited by KnivesOut

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Helene, Campbell, Lung, transplant, dancing' to 'Helene Campbell, Lung transplant, dancing, transplant, lung, organ donor' - edited by lucky760

>> ^hpqp:

She's a great speaker!
IMO, organ donation should be the default, with the option to request opting out (why anyone would want that I cannot fathom), and not vice versa.


That's what happens here in Portugal. You're a donor by default, and the only way the organs won't be harvested is if you left a declaration saying that. (I'm not sure if family members can oppose the harvest if the person who died said nothing against it though).

>> ^hpqp:

She's a great speaker!
IMO, organ donation should be the default, with the option to request opting out (why anyone would want that I cannot fathom), and not vice versa.


Yep, this is one of my pet causes. Apparently this is the default in France, and a few other countries

This exact hospital was my stomping ground for a few months in 2005 when my daughter got her transplant. I cannot adequately put into words the insane medical talent in this place.

My daughter takes a pill derived from a Streptomyces Tsukubaensis fungus 3 times a week. It keeps her transplanted liver happy.

edit:
from wiki:
Like ciclosporin, it was found in a soil fungus, although it is produced by a type of bacterium,

My best friend has MS. I have a form of Parkinsons. I have had cancer and survived.

I am also studying bioethics at Monash.

Judging by your overly defensive nature even before any retorts you are clearly not at ease with the ethical decisions you have made. I won't lecture you. Rather I will just say that you value certain things above others that have limited ethical grounding.
>> ^MycroftHomlz:

Do you have friends that have AIDS or HIV? Do you know someone (or know someone that knows someone) suffering MS? Parkinsons? Dushanes? Has anyone you known every gotten cancer and survived? Are you vaccinated? Do you take antibiotics when you get sick? Do you know anyone who has been the recipient of an organ transplant? Do you upvote Michael J. Fox videos?
Ask yourself these questions before you question how I sleep...
I think it is naive and hypocritical to on one hand use modern medicine and curl the other to a fist to bash its teeth in. You can't have it both ways. Sure it is sad that we have to use animal models. The best we can hope for is that they are treated as humanely as possible and their use is tightly regulated. All of which is true in the current paradigm.
>> ^Kofi:
Whatever helps you sleep at night.

Do you have friends that have AIDS or HIV? Do you know someone (or know someone that knows someone) suffering MS? Parkinsons? Dushanes? Has anyone you known every gotten cancer and survived? Are you vaccinated? Do you take antibiotics when you get sick? Do you know anyone who has been the recipient of an organ transplant? Do you upvote Michael J. Fox videos?

Ask yourself these questions before you question how I sleep...

I think it is naive and hypocritical to on one hand use modern medicine and curl the other to a fist to bash its teeth in. You can't have it both ways. Sure it is sad that we have to use animal models. The best we can hope for is that they are treated as humanely as possible and their use is tightly regulated. All of which is true in the current paradigm.

>> ^Kofi:

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

I am in agreement with that, however it won't solve the entire problem. Collective bargaining, when applied to the the sector of public service, will always end badly. At the risk of repeating myself, there simply isn't enough money. FDR saw this in his letter to the National Federation of Federal Employees in which, among other things, he stated, "The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service . . "

We can leave things as they are and just not pay people the pensions we've promised to them, or we can correct the error now. There is an alternative to the government fixing it now. The people certainly will at the polls. You may find this article regarding what is happening in California enlightening. Brown has his tit in a wringer because the people of CA will correct these issues if he doesn't. My guess is that the people of Wisconsin will come to the same conclusion eventually when the "where's my pension you promised me?," lawsuits begin.



>> ^packo:

>> ^silvercord:
Being an old hippie, I understand this. But I also understand that the state has made promises it cannot keep. Same thing is happening in California under Jerry Brown. He has proposed to cut state union pensions in order to rectify the matter. There is no magic wand to pay those pensions. The money is simply not there.

subsidizing big business friends that don't need the subsidy or tax break may be the place to look for that

I realized I forgot to point out I may be doing real damage to parts of my brain by using these chemicals designed to be permanent receptor ligands, which in turn could be hazardous to my health.

but the safe version is illegal.

the boy in that story above died from his injuries despite a lung transplant . rip
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11302/1186001-59.stm


cannabis would have done the same thing, smoked out of a pez.

When I had a complete medical work-up (to qualify to transplant half of my liver into my daughter) in 2005, I had catscan which revealed an acceptably low fat liver. Her liver was completely destroyed at the time. I had spent the last 35 yrs eating whatver tf I wanted to... so it was a miracle.

Running lean is a really good idea. Think of how many fat-assed lions and tigers you see in National Geographic films... it's not natural.

>> ^Lawdeedaw:

And doctors--which as a doctor he noted he ALWAYS did take care of. And another thing, churches around here raise 10K for a man who needed a lung transplant. It was enough for his medications to have the surgery done. Would it be enough for everyone? No. But Paul's view is not wrong--it just relies on people like you and me, your friends and family to work

well said. Also, people can't afford or can't get health care period. Maybe when the middle class goes away and 90% of people won't be able to afford health insurance; maybe then the British health system (NHS) will start looking appealing!

>> ^Lawdeedaw:

>> ^bcglorf:
Me wonder's what Ron Paul's most radical proponents think of his response here. I'd imagine much cheering when he stood his ground on people choosing their own consequences, and then a little hesitation at insisting the government shouldn't spend it's own money to save that life. Still, I do believe his Libertarian supporters were still in good agreement. Then he went and said that is something we should let the churches take care of... How does something like that sit with the radical left freedom not of but from religion Libertarian crowd?

And doctors--which as a doctor he noted he ALWAYS did take care of. And another thing, churches around here raise 10K for a man who needed a lung transplant. It was enough for his medications to have the surgery done. Would it be enough for everyone? No. But Paul's view is not wrong--it just relies on people like you and me, your friends and family to work
Btw: That wasn't an insult to you. I am actually agreeing with you but for different reasons. My main point is "When you vote for someone who tells the truth you might not get anything you want. But when you vote a liar, you get what you deserve."


I mostly agree. I just know there is a large base of Ron Paul supporters whose extreme views on Libertarianism are matched with equally extreme views against any and all religion. Here, Ron Paul points to churches as one of the biggest examples of where the support to implement his idea would come from. I remain very curious what that base feels and thinks on hearing that. Is it glad to let the religious waste their dollars? Is it horror that the church would selectively help only those it approves of? Is it just suppressed and internalized for later?