All Life Is Worthy of Life!Undisguised eugenist/social-darwinian/neo-malthusian policies are an inevitable outcome of the capitalist and imperialist system in the 21st century. In the eyes of the global financial oligarchy, some lives are less valuable, even dispensable. During this ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the first expression of these odious developments was the various pronouncements on the necessity to abandon the elderly to their fate. Now, in Alabama, a ventilator rationing plan explicitly states that: "Persons with severe or profound mental retardation, moderate to severe dementia, or catastrophic neurological complications such as persistent vegetative state are unlikely candidates for ventilator support." The plan also states: "Children with severe neurological problems may not be appropriate candidates in the pediatric age group."[1] This is reminiscent of the thinking that emerged and was articulated and then translated into practice in Germany in the 1930s of "life unworthy of life." What was once considered beyond the pale -- supposedly vanquished with the defeat of fascism in the Second World War -- is now overt. One is forced to ponder, where will this all end? Who next is to be judged as "life unworthy of life"?! These are not horrendous developments or decisions forced on society due to an unavoidable lack of resources. It is the result of a deliberate decision not to provide those resources. It is not a question of whether we have resources or not, or whether it is possible to "create" those resources in time or not! It is simply a question of the unequal and unjust distribution of wealth and decision-making power, which drives the policies and actions made by governments on what to prioritize. Trillions can be found for the ruling elite but not for ordinary workers, the exploited and oppressed. In a world of terrible social inequalities in which a privileged few (a tiny fraction of the world's population) monopolize the overwhelming majority of the global wealth, the governments have decided NOT to provide the resources needed to preserve the lives and health of the citizens they supposedly serve and in theory have a social contract with. The struggle continues! Surely, a better, more just world is possible and necessary! Note1. The following is an excerpt from Alabama's Criteria for Mechanical Ventilator Triage Following Proclamation of Mass-Casualty Respiratory Emergency: "For example, persons with severe mental retardation, advanced dementia or severe traumatic brain injury may be poor candidates for ventilator support. The average life expectancy of persons with mental retardation now spans to the seventh decade and persons with significant neurological impairments can enjoy productive happy lives. Functional assessment for persons with intellectual disability, complex neurological problems, dementia, or mixtures of symptoms should focus on premorbid function in all domains of life including social, intellectual, professional, etc. Persons with severe or profound mental retardation, moderate to severe dementia, or catastrophic neurological complications such as persistent vegetative state are unlikely candidates for ventilator support. Individuals with complex neurological issues such as motor neuron disease, glioblastoma multiforme and others may not be appropriate candidates in a mass casualty situation. Children with severe neurological problems may not be appropriate candidates in the pediatric age group."
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