Artificial Heart Devices
In its never ending pursuit of advancement, science has reached a crucial biotechnological plateau, the creation of artificial organs. Such a concept may seem easy to comprehend until one considers the vast knowledge required to provide a functional substitute for one of nature's creations. One then realizes the true immensity of this breakthrough. Since ancient times, humans have viewed the heart as more than just a physical part of the body. It has been thought the seat of the soul, the source of emotion, and the center of each individual's existence. For many years, doctors and researchers left the heart untouched because they thought it was too delicate, too crucial to withstand the rigors of surgery. However, the innate human desire to achieve brought about the invention of the artificial heart. The potential for such inventions are enormous. According to the American Heart Association, there are between 16,000 and 40,000 possible recipients of artificial heart devices under the age of sixty-five. If perfected, it would enable us to save thousands of human lives.
In considering the full impact of artificial heart devices on society, we must not narrow our thinking to include only the beneficial possibilities.
There exist moral, ethical, and economic factors that accompany these new innovations to humanity. Who will receive these brilliant inventions?
Obviously not all of the patients will get transplants, so selection criteria must be established. The high price of artificial heart devices and their implantation will eliminate some candidates. Unfortunately, this is not fair.
The rich, in essence, can buy life, whereas the poor are abandoned to die in a diseased state. A thorough analysis of the implications of the implantation of such devices reveals not only selection and economic consideration, but mortality and ethics as well. Many contest that it is simply wrong to tamper with the ways and creations of nature. By prolonging life through unnatural means were are defeating natures foremost tenet of the "survival of the fittest." We are preserving the weaker gene pools and contributing to the deterioration of the human species. These and other considerations play a vital role in determining the artificial transplants actual benefit to the contemporary world and the world of tomorrow. A...
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...evices for the heart will definitely have a great impact on society. This can be classified in two major ways: financial problems and population problems. Of course, increased use of artificial heart devices in medicine is going to increase the financial burden on society. The potential gains will be substantial when the lives of many productive individuals can be saved. The extent of the financial burden depends largely upon the number of patients who benefit from the artificial valve, the availability of the device, and improvements in its efficiency and dependability.
In the long run, worldwide utility of the artificial valve technology would increase the world population. Overpopulation is already the root of many of the world's crises.
The many debates concerning artificial heart implantation as a medical technique each have their own significance, and each deserves thorough consideration. Before we rush headlong into complete employment of the devices in medicine, we must evaluate the moral, social, ethical, arguments. Hopefully we can reach a decision that blends all of the aforementioned considerations into a harmonious existence, working to the maximum benefit of society.
...ilities of Congress is that minorities and factions exist: dissent takes place, not disagreements. Verbal brawls take place rather than actual argumentation, and that is what kills democracy. That is why things never get done.
The presence of an overwhelming and influential body of government, dictating the individuals of contextual society, may potentially lead to the thoughts and actions that oppose the ruling party. Through the exploration of Fritz Lang’s expressionist film, Metropolis (1927), and George Orwell’s politically satirical novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1948), the implications of an autocratic government upon the individuals of society are revealed. Lang’s expressionist film delves into the many issues faced by the Weimar Republic of Germany following the “War to end all wars” (Wells, 1914), in which the disparity between the upper and lower classes became distinctively apparent as a result of the ruling party’s capitalistic desires. Conversely, Orwell’s,
Mann and Norman J. Ornstein argue that the Legislative branch is the most broken branch of government. Congress was designed by the Framers of the Constitution of the United States to be an independent and powerful party. The Framers wanted the Legislative branch to represent the vast diversity of people of the United States, to deliberate on important issues and policies, and to check and balance the other branches. However, Congress’s role in the American Constitutional System differs from the part it was meant to play. The authors argue that Congress has failed to fill its responsibilities to the people of the United States because of the division of the Democratic and Republican parties, which leaves little room for compromise and negotiation. Members of Congress focus on their own needs and interests, and will travel to far lengths to prove that their political party is the most powerful. Congress has turned a blind eye to the needs of the American people. Congress cannot succeed in getting the United States back on track unless they start to follow the rules dictated by the Framers of the Constitution. A vast series of decisions made by Congress, driven by Congress’s disregard for institutional procedures, its tendency to focus on personal ethics, and the overpowering culture of corruption, led to Congress failing to implement important changes in the United States
Hamilton provides an inside look at how congress really works and clears up popular misconception that make members of congress look like wasteful bickering crooks that support gridlock and are only concerned with the needs of interest groups and lobbyists. Hamilton argues that Congress has changed for the better throughout the years and that they are held at higher standards than they were before. Hamilton states that Congress is not only working at keeping the public happy but that have recently become faced with a lot more issues than before, they are not only more issues but more complicated and technical that are very high risk policies that take a long time to produce a decision (Hamilton, 1988, 65). Hamilton states that Congress is a system in which the viewpoints of everyone are taken into account and make sure there is a consensus when it comes to defining decisions. Even though many of us acknowledge that lobbyist and special interest groups play an essential role in the law making party, Congress is making an effort to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. Congress is making sure that the balance of power is distributed properly. In recent years, there has been a decline in mega-lobbies and interest groups so that not only the wealthy powerful get their voice heard, but the everyday american people get an opinion in things that affect them as well. In Gary Lee’s article, The NRA Has Lost some Firepower, we can see that interest groups are beginning to have less of an influence on larger political decisions (Hamilton, 1988, 65). For example, the National Rifle Association’s defeat in the battle over the “Brady bill” and their war towards trying to revamp Medicaid was a great loss for lobbyists and
1984 and Brave New World, written by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, respectively, are both books that reflect the authors vision of how society would end up at the course it was going at the time of the writing of the book. Both books were written more than fifty years ago, but far enough apart that society was going in a totally different direction at the time. There are many ways to compare these two books and point out the similarities. On certain, deep levels they are very much the same, while at first glance, on the surface, they are very different. One point that in some parts is the same and some very different, is the governments in each of these books method’s of control.
There is a chance that the dysfunction could possibly decline at some point, though right now it doesn’t appear like it will happen any time soon. But when that happens there will be a whole new aspect of dysfunction that we can study since it hasn’t happened that often in the past. While there are a lot of theories out there about how and why and in what way the gridlock has happened, some have more merit than others, and there are still new angles and different approaches that can continue to be studied. But with such a dynamic system to study, continuing to study this area of political science will be a central part of studying Congress for years to
Throughout the course of American History, the U.S. government has mostly shown to be a reliable and stable pillar during major events happening domestically and internationally. It has displayed leadership, tenacity, and perseverance when making important legislation that would change the lives of all citizens in the United States. However, during the latter half of the 20th century, the government has shown to be susceptible to partisanship. This has been displayed when it is presented with a dilemma regarding decision making; when a political group refuses to negotiate on an issue, the whole U.S. government shuts down. Based on the recent developments in politics, the legislative design of the federal government has been shown to be seriously flawed; only by changing its structure can we guard against the partisanship which prevents our representatives and senators from serving the will of the citizens of the United States through compromise.
Suchetka, D. (2012, August 19). 'Ghost heart,' A Framework for Growing New Human Hearts, Could Be Answer for Thousands Waiting for New Heart. cleveland.com. Retrieved from http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2012/08/ghost_heart_a_framework_for_gr.html
something else there, the mind, that interacts with our bodies and makes us feel, think,
Ruppert, Peter. “Technology and the Constructions of Gender in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.” (2000) [Accessed 18 December 2012]
the body. The notions and events that occur in the essay provoked emotional responses ranging
Whether political polarization is good or bad for the nation is still up for debate, but the general consensus is it exists due to a variety of reasons. From the construction of our Constitution, it is clear that the intent of our founding fathers was to create opposition in order to prevent tyranny from prevailing. Polarization is a result of the dividing of a nation into political parties. Though polarization has fluctuated throughout the years, it has caused a great deal of trouble in regards to passing legislation and has resulted in a gridlocked Congress. Even though some fear congressional polarization is destined to get worse, “it is mathematically impossible for congress to get much more polarized” than it is now.
The poor gets poorer, and the rich gets richer. Economically speaking, this is the truth about Capitalism. Numerous people agree that this inequality shows the greedy nature of humankind. The author of the source displays a capitalist perspective that encompasses an individualist approach towards an “un-ideal” economic system. The source articulates a prominent idea that capitalism is far from perfect. The reality is, as long as capitalism exists, there are always those people who are too poor or too rich in the system. We do not need elitists in our society but that is exactly what capitalists are. In this society, people are in clash with those who “have” and those who “have not”, which creates conflict and competition. Throughout
Gans (1971) stated in modern society there are few events that can be considered functional or dysfunctional for society, and that most events result in benefits to some groups, while they present a cost to other groups. Poverty provides a great example of the negative impact on one group of society while providing benefits to another group in society. “All human endeavors have benefits and costs, material and nonmaterial, and that most such endeavors produce benefits for some people and groups and reparations for others. Even some of the most costly social evils benefit someone” (Gans, 2012). Poverty provides numerous benefits for the wealthy. However, the poor can also benefit from the wealthy.