You are a member of the first generation of doctors in the history of medicine to turn their backs on the oath of Hippocrates and kill millions of old useless people, unborn children, born malformed children, for the good of mankind -and to do so without a single murmur from one of you. Not a single letter of protest in the august New England Journal of Medicine. And do you know what you're going to end up doing? You a graduate of Harvard and a reader of the New York Times and a member of the Ford Foundation's Program for the Third World? Do you know what is going to happen to you? . . . You're going to end up killing Jews.
The quote reflects a stark condemnation of modern medical ethics, particularly the departure from the Hippocratic Oath, which traditionally emphasizes the importance of preserving life. The speaker accuses a new generation of doctors of allowing practices that lead to the deaths of vulnerable populations, including the elderly and the unborn, all in the name of societal good. This moral decline is seen as occurring without any substantial objection from medical professionals or institutions, emphasizing a troubling shift in values within the healthcare community.
Furthermore, the speaker highlights the disconnect between educated individuals, such as those from prestigious backgrounds, and the ethical implications of their actions. By connecting their choices to historical atrocities, such as the Holocaust, the message serves as a dire warning about the potential consequences of abandoning ethical responsibility in medicine. The quote critiques not only the actions of healthcare providers but also the complicity of broader society in these moral failures.