Britain's leading moral philospher, Baroness Warnock said the elderly in a mental decline are "wasting peoples lives" because of the burden they would be on families. They should be euthanized even if they aren't in pain. Like an old animal. She said the government should give license to people allowing them to 'put these people down'. It's pure barbarism.So it is, when national healthcare gets out of control. Worse yet, it may be acceptable. And since Barack Obama is in favor of Universal Healthcare, if he gets his way, this is what we may be faced with. Probably not. But it could go in that direction, on his watch.
The veteran Government adviser said pensioners in mental decline are “wasting people’s lives” because of the care they require and should be allowed to opt for euthanasia even if they are not in pain.h/t to HotAir
She insisted there was “nothing wrong” with people being helped to die for the sake of their loved ones or society.
The 84-year-old added that she hoped people will soon be “licensed to put others down” if they are unable to look after themselves. …
Lady Warnock said: “If you’re demented, you’re wasting people’s lives – your family’s lives – and you’re wasting the resources of the National Health Service.
“I’m absolutely, fully in agreement with the argument that if pain is insufferable, then someone should be given help to die, but I feel there’s a wider argument that if somebody absolutely, desperately wants to die because they’re a burden to their family, or the state, then I think they too should be allowed to die.
“Actually I’ve just written an article called ‘A Duty to Die?’ for a Norwegian periodical. I wrote it really suggesting that there’s nothing wrong with feeling you ought to do so for the sake of others as well as yourself.”
"I think that's the way the future will go, putting it rather brutally, you'd be licensing people to put others down."
7 comments:
She's 84--perhaps she's beginning to have dementia and doesn't realize it?
Seriously, the people who ought to be "put down" are the people, like her, and Singer, who advocate this type of thing.
And the fact that we don't, just proves that we're better people.
Although I fear for our "brave new world."
sigh.
d
A few thoughts ~
To blame this kind of thinking on "universal healthcare" is, I think, moe than a bit disingeneous. Although the names escape me (and I don't have the time at the moment to go looking), I know of one, if not two, Americans who have spouted similar crap over the years. Americans. With a private health care system. Advocatng this for the aged, those with dementia, the disabled... anyone whom they consider to be a "drain on society". No, my dear, its not an issue revolving or born out of socilaized healthcare, its an issue born out of a selfish, warped, elitist way of thinking.
But my second thought is this - there is a difference between saying people have a duty to die or we should 'license' people to kill, and saying people have right to be helped to die if they want.
I am acutally becoming more in favour of euthanasia ... where we allow or help THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO DIE to end their life with dignity. Whether it is become of unbearable physical pain or otherwise. No, I don't mean someone who wants to commit suicide because of the agony of the moment but someone in a chronic situation who has given the seroius thought to know that they are ready to leave this world.
And thanks for your post punky. They are always interesting and thought-provoking.
There's another good article on this same wingnut here.
Thank you M
I think the problem with socialized medicine is the chance that government would have a major role in the decision making of a loved one who is terminally ill for whatever reason. The doctors may have an opinion but in the end, how important would that really be, especially if the economy is in dire straits.
The economy is the only thing that the government is concerned with, bottom line. The more we fall into an economy slump, the more the gov't will consider ridding people who will not be a productive part of our society, saying things like "they're a waste of peoples lives." They would basically take up valuable space. All this may never happen because it just sounds so outrageous. But is it really?
Euthanisia is already accepted in parts of Europe and the U.S.
I don't know that being put in a predicament of literally playing God, making that decision of euthanizing our loved one because he or she is in never-ending excruciating pain would be the right thing to do. Can we in good conscience pull the plug and be totally and completely at peace with that? I just don't think it's for us to make that decision no matter how excruciating. At a certain point we have to give it to God.
I think having universal healthcare would only involve too many of the uneducated who know absolutely nothing about the lives of the one we love, who would have a major role in making life decisions.
"I think having universal healthcare would only involve too many of the uneducated who know absolutely nothing about the lives of the one we love, who would have a major role in making life decisions."
Sorry, you lost me. Who are these uneducated ones we would be involvoing?
So have you ever seen any statistics on this? Is this sort of thing (not just euthenasia but actually killing people off without their consent) more common in countries with socialized medicine?
The uneducated would be the government...who wouldn't know their a** from a hole in the ground... about the lives of the ones we love, who are either disabled, dying, terminally or chronically ill.
I don't have any stats on this. In fact, I can't think of any free country that would prescribe to this kind of savagery.
I was just referring to Baroness Warnock and her outrageous beliefs of putting the elderly down who just happens to have dementia. Chances are, the Western world wouldn't allow such inhumanity, but with socialized medicine how can we know for certain how far the government would go to save a penny.
I don't have time to get stats, but I think you'd find, if you look, that many European countries practice euthanasia as a matter of course--and most of them are socialized medicine. A coincidence? I dunno.
d
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