Posted on 04/27/2018 9:58:07 PM PDT by John Semmens
The saga of ailing toddler Alfie Evans has thoroughly discredited the United Kingdom's National Health Service. According to the NHS, Alfie's death "would be best for all concerned." His parents' efforts to prevent this outcome with the assistance of humanitarians outside of the NHS have been thwarted with the connivance of the UK's courts.
It's not a question of the parents insisting that the NHS provide care that the NHS considers inappropriate and futile. The parents haven't asked for anything more than to take their son out of the Alder Hey Hospital and take advantage of Bambino Gesu Hospital's offer to treat the boy at no expense to the NHS. Nonetheless, the hospital has gone to court and received a judgment that awards it custody of the child. Pursuant to this judgment, the hospital pulled the plug on Alfie. The expected demise of the lad failed to transpire.
One would think that now little Alfie could be allowed to leave the hospital with his parents. "Not so fast," says Justice Anthony Hayden. "A lot of people protesting what we are doing are confused. If we release Alfie to his parents we lose control over the 'end of life' procedure that all the NHS doctors assure me is the only appropriate course. The issue is bigger than the life of one boy. Our society has decided to grant the NHS complete authority over all health-related matters. The NHS has ruled that it is in Alfie's best interest to die. As long as the boy remains in their hands we can be certain that this outcome will be achieved. Letting him loose endangers this outcome."
"Opponents of the NHS put sympathy for this one child ahead of the collective interests of society," Hayden explained. "Let's suppose that we did let the parents take charge. What's the risk? Well, if by some miracle Alfie were to survive outside the NHS system citizens' faith in the NHS could be negatively impacted. Pressures could arise for others to try to opt out of the NHS. This is the path toward anarchic individualism—a social philosophy that UK voters have soundly rejected in numerous elections. Avoidance of such a catastrophe is paramount. If the price of avoiding the chaos this would bring is the death of one boy and the suffering of his parents I'd say it is worth paying. I'm confident that my more insightful countrymen will come to the same conclusion."
Meanwhile, Merseyside Police Chief Inspector Chris Gibson has announced that "we are monitoring social media and will prosecute any malicious communications that besmirch the doctors, hospital, or courts for the decisions made in the Alfie Evans matter. Their decisions are final. No useful social purpose can be served by needlessly criticizing something that cannot be changed. Loyal British subjects need to know their place and to respect and obey their betters."
if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Opinion/239234-2018-04-27-semi-news-semi-satire-april-29-2018-edition.htm
ping
I see via Facebook and Twitter that Alfie has passed away. RIP sweet boy. I am sorry you fell prey to the evil NHS
RIP little soldier.
This makes me ill. You know I love your work John, but this one is too tragic. Reminds me a bit of how I felt when the court ordered the murder of Terri Schiavo. She lived 10 days strapped to a hospital bed, denied food and water until she passed. Barbaric. These people are sick. They might as well have ordered a shotgun blast to the back of the head, they knew the outcome would be the same. It would have been more humane.
Mission Accomplished, NHS.
He has died. May he rest in peace.
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