Larry Niven's UN-PC/disturbing/darkly amusing solution for hospital cost control

[Zen-like Todd]

http://io9.com/370762/larry-niven-tells-dhs-to-spread-organ-harvesting-rumors

There's a small group of science fiction authors who call themselves SIGMA and offer the U.S. government advice on futuristic scenarios. Many of them are invited to conferences and events where they dispense wisdom to security types, and just recently one of them -- Larry "Ringworld" Niven -- offered the Department of Homeland Security some of the creepiest advice we've ever heard about how to handle problems with overcrowding in hospitals.

Niven said a good way to help hospitals stem financial losses is to spread rumors in Spanish within the Latino community that emergency rooms are killing patients in order to harvest their organs for transplants.

"The problem [of hospitals going broke] is hugely exaggerated by illegal aliens who aren't going to pay for anything anyway," Niven said.

"Do you know how politically incorrect you are?" Pournelle asked.

"I know it may not be possible to use this solution, but it does work," Niven replied.

[33]

Okay, to tie it in with race relations week at ES, my question is:

Does he dislike latinos, or is he just against illegal immigrants?

[DGreenistheBest]

Maybe neither. I mean, it would work. Maybe he just has no tact?

[33]

Maybe neither. I mean, it would work. Maybe he just has no tact?

Tactless barely begins to describe this if your assertion were to be correct.

EDIT: But it's possible he is just extremely literal, I guess.

[zoony]

Well nobody can accuse that thread title of being misleading :laugh:

.....

[The Sisko]

This "solution" has so many patently stupid flaws that I almost don't know where to begin. Ethical considerations aside, first it assumes that most Latinos that frequent ERs are illegals-which may or may not be true. Second, he assumes that they make up enough of the ER visits to make a dent in the overall costs. Finally, there are always unintended consequences to shady behavior like this. People in Public Health are still trying to regain the trust of many in the Black community after the Tuskegee experiment. In fact, it's thought to be in large part responsible for many of the crazy conspiracy theories that continue to make the rounds in the Black community regarding the Govt infecting Blacks with HIV and the like.

That this guy would suggest something so stupid makes me question his scientific cred.

[Larry]

I remember reading somewhere, where, I think, Pournelle was quoting Niven as proposing a solution for what to do with nuclear waste.

The proposal was that the anti-nuke people will tell you that there are huge sections of the US southwest that have been rendered permanently unfit for all forms of life because a nuclear weapon was set off there, once. Therefore, his proposal was to take them at their word.

Since the area is permanently uninhabitable, just dig a hole, like a gravel pit. Back up the trucks, dump the stuff in, drive off. Don't even bury it, just dump it.

Put a fence around the place, 5 miles away. Put a sign on the fence every 100 yards: If you cross this fence, you will die.

As they put it: Yes, there are some people in this world who will cross the fence. Think of it as evolution in action.