Murder for Medicine

Sure, Bush's illegal war has resulted in the brutal murder of untold thousands of Iraqi civilians, not to mention the senseless deaths of thousands of American soldiers, but just think of all the medical advancements we are making as a result. Dr. Edward V. Craig praises such advancements in an article for MSNBC.com.

He recalls the words of Hippocrates, who "wrote that war was a surgeon's best training ground." Well, Dr. Craig seems pretty excited about all the "medical training" going on right now. Doctors today are learning more than ever about brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. They have made tremendous strides (pardon the expression) in the area of prosthetics. They have even learned that tourniquets can be used to stop bleeding in emergency situations. Imagine that!

"But the most lasting medical legacy of the Iraq War," Dr. Craig continues, "is likely to be a rather low-tech advance: quick and clear communication of medical information. Today's soldiers carry personal identification cards with extensive patient information, enabling emergency caregivers to quickly gather health history, minimize errors and maximize integration of medical care. Such successes are likely to have a profound impact on attempts to make medical information portable." Hmmm. An argument for RFID tags perhaps?

Dr. Craig concludes by saying, "With each war, we are unfortunately left with new ways of killing. But the other side of the story is that each war also produces new ways of healing." See? It's all worth it.

Why do I suddenly have Johnny Mercer's song "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" running through my head?