Josh Barro passing along some pretty disturbing news about Euthanasia in Canada.
Echoed and surpassed by Lyman Stone on the same topic.
I had thought that the Netherlands was the scary one for euthanasia, then Sweden during Covid giving elderly people with the virus morphine (in long-term care) instead of oxygen (in a hospital). I didn't know Canada was a great offender, but euthanasia is (apparently?) the sixth-leading cause of death now.
We talk about slippery slopes and Overton windows of what can be discussed. I remember doctors I worked with in the 80s advocating for euthanasia of the elderly and infanticide of the severely disabled in the first few weeks. They felt entirely competent to make those decisions. Almost everyone in earshot was horrified. I guess not so horrified anymore.
There are people writing about this blaming it on capitalism, I think because if something is viewed solely as a cost-saving measure then the advocates must, simply must, be capitalists.
I hope I don't get sick or injured there. True, our insurance is US-based, but I fear that that attitude will feed back into treatment for lesser problems.
ReplyDeleteI have had two friends choose to end their lives. They both were in very bad shape and only modern medicine was keeping them alive. Setting a date and having the family there has been good for both of those situations.
ReplyDeleteI have nothing really to say about the tweaks upsetting people so much.
I wonder what legal instruments there are available to specifically defend against euthanasia. People defend their legacies all the time with trusts and wills and medical Powers of Attorney so on - surely there must be a way to put up barriers against having some well-intentioned Mengele coming at you with a needle.
ReplyDeleteDid CS Lewis ever contemplate (i.e. write about) euthanasia?