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Living wills / assisted suicide

Showing the utter idiocy and contempt for ethics which are his hallmarks, 'Lord' Falconer "has warned doctors they risk going on trial for assault if they refuse to allow patients who have made 'living wills' to die". Source.

As a starting point, I am in favour of people being allowed to choose the time of their dying - after all, whose life is it anyway? - but the co-opting of people in the medical business is grotesque. I have always been led to believe that medical ethics starts with the Hippocratic Oath (q.v) , including 'never do harm to anyone'. ( I recommend reading the whole oath - there are clauses against abortion and in favour of business demarcation) .

Apparently a conscientious objector sawbones can pass the patient onto another, but he or she will actually be legally liable to do so. I cannot imagine that quite the same principle applies with other medical ethics minefields like abortion.

Your thoughts please.
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Blogger Matt said... 11:12 am

Intellect has not the power
Nor logic depth of insight
To understand the simple truth
Of life’s essential purpose
The heart is nearer than reason by far
Our feelings reveal us for what we are.

Best wishes...  



Blogger Rigger Mortice said... 1:43 pm

don't see what the fuss is about.if someone wants to save us £500 a day by going without taking up an exspensive bed for 6 months then good on em.  



Blogger Croydonian said... 2:00 pm

RM - agreed. I'm all in favour of dying with dignity etc etc, but the idea that unwilling quacks should be co-opted into this under threat of criminal and civil law is monstrous.

From my own experience, my ma is cast iron certain that her mother was denied cancer treatment beyond a certain point on the grounds that there was nothing that could have been done that would give her a meaningful extension of her life. More to the point, my mother believes that this was the right decision.  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 2:13 pm

The problem that is usually cited against the right to die is that it may easily shade into becoming a duty.

I daresay you are a convinced atheist C myself I am somewhat suspicious of unalloyed rationalism applied to such problems. I can make a very rational case for abortion after birth .

Such a possibility has been seriously suggested only last week . What I `m not clear on about the Falconer thing is exactly what the law is at the moment . I was under the impression that assisted death was not legal ? Wrong?  



Blogger Croydonian said... 2:23 pm

N - Indeed, and I believe that there are questions about that having become the norm amongst our Dutch friends.

I regard myself as a culturally middle of the road 'Anglican' agnostic / atheist, as the God I do not believe in is very much of a middle England C of E model.

Falconer was focusing on the right to refuse treatment, although for better or for worse, that is a slope of quite considerable slipperiness.  



Blogger The Hitch said... 5:10 pm

If a doctor can opt out of aborting children why cant they opt out of allowing somebody to die?  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 5:28 pm

Perhaps Stuart Hall should commentate as moral positions from towns across the country try not to slide down it .

I see you problem .It is difficult to fall from a religion in the supine position.
Enjoy explaining this when your bones are crackling in hellish furnaces for eternity .  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 5:31 pm

Stuart hall could commentate as moral positions from across the country try not to slide down the slope. You religious views seem a noble attempt to fall from a supine position.

Your bones will crackle nicely in in the infernal pit C , not much fat on you for the demons though  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 11:11 pm

Yes hard to fall from the faith when the faith is supine ,I suppose. Your bones will crackle no less merrily in the infernal pit though.

I see a game show where moral positions from across the country attempt to stay on the slippery slope . Stuart Hall will be laughing demonically in the background  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 11:13 pm

Hard to fall from the faith when it is supine , but you bones will crackle no less merrily in hell.

I see a game show in which moral positions from around Europe attempt to stay on said slippery slope. Stuart Hall will be laughing demonically.  



Blogger Croydonian said... 12:45 pm

From a quick skim of Dante's Inferno, I suspect I'm heading for one of the lower circles.  



Anonymous Anonymous said... 12:03 pm

I was confused by your block. Wierd how I remembered the comment differently  



Blogger Croydonian said... 6:14 pm

FAO 'Time Freedom Fighter'


I have already reported you to blogger as a spammer. I look forward to you having your account suspended soon, you tiresome individual. Cease AND desist.  



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