A brief thought experiment [Warden]

Today a close friend emailed me a link to this NBC News story.

It's a piece about how wireless technology is now being used in medicine. There's some really cool applications in here, including a demonstration on how you can essentially use your iPhone as an EKG machine, record a video of the readout, and email it to your doctor for diagnosis.

The piece itself is about 9 minutes. Go check it out first (the experiment requires it), then I want to take to take this discussion somewhere unexpected (maybe, depending on your perception).

So what did you think? My reaction to it was mostly positive. Technology can be pretty cool sometimes, right?

That's not what my brother thought when he saw it. Here was his response via email. He has an odd writing style, but stick with it.

I consume ALL media through the lens of propaganda.

"Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by
omission)"

Genius "Rock Star" Eric J. Topol, MD calls USA medicine dumb and believes no less than a whole 1/3rd of all prescription medicines written by his fellow
doctors are unneeded, wasteful & close to malfeasance. He says "we are doing
the wrong EVERYTHING."

Funny that his opinion and apparent observances are 100% opposite of my
actual experiences with all the doctors, nurses, hospitals, facilities, etc.
of the last 3 weeks.

This guy has a whole lot to say. Many lectures, interviews and books
written.

Yet both he and NBC "News" do not make a single mention or even inference to the single greatest current issue in USA medicine today. Heck, the largest
issue in the history of his profession. Maybe to never ever be eclipsed.

Completely missing from the entire 9 minute piece.

I am not going to tell you what it is. I will let you figure it out on your
own.

The other big take away I had from this "news" story was the voice overlay
produced by NBC "News" "Doctor Topol is the foremost EXPERT on the EXPLODING field of "wireless medicine" and this EXPLOSION he says is about to make "OUR" healthcare BETTER and CHEAPER."

What is "our" healthcare? Is this me and all the people working at the
East Main Street McDonald's? When did I get hooked up with these
people?

Our Healthcare Better and Cheaper. 10-4 chief! Let me know when that
happens.

I took notes as I watched the "news" story. "profitable" pain medication,
"DNA testing", "what kind of life WE ALL will be living?", "lifestyle
changes", and "HEART ATTACK CELL PHONE RING TONES. STFU!

There is not a whole bunch on google about this guy and ideology &/or
politics but I have a funny feeling ,,,,,

"The fourth domain of electronic health records and health information
systems is the only part of digital medicine that the United States
Affordable Care Act has been given a significant priority and a $40 billion
investment."

http://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2011/12/26/digitizing-human-beings

Hmmm... did you see it that way? Did you correctly see this as nothing more than a slimey propaganda piece meant to condition the masses to accept and embrace less privacy, less one-on-one time with their doctor, and lower quality of care under Obamacare?

Embarrassingly, I didn't until I read my brother's response. Then it was obvious.

How did they slip this one by me? My radar is ALWAYS up for this kinda sneaky, underhanded media bullshit.

The answer is that we are surrounded by propaganda. It's everywhere, hidden in even the most seemingly innocuous things.

And that's what's so insidious about it. 24-7 we are being bombarded by sneaky lies, half truths, obfuscations, and undisclosed interests.

It's pure treachery. No matter how bad you might think it is, it's likely far worse.

Oh, and my brother's suspician about this doctor? Yeah, he's part of the Politburo, pimping this same line and calling doctors stupid and backward while sharing the stage with none other than Kathleen Sebelius.

posted by Open Blogger at 12:21 AM

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