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Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

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511–520 of 527 posts

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#511

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I of course think that example is not just. However I think there a certain crimes like mass murder are beyond being forgivable. It's where I think the only just thing is vengance. Also justice can't be objective. Put n people in a room and ask them what is just and you'll get n different answers.

There’s actually no suitable punishment for mass murderers/war criminals/terrorists at all. There’s no righting the wrongs they have caused. There’s no rehabilitation. There’s no real punishment. When push comes to shove, how many of them even expect to get out alive? Is death penalty really just in such a situation? The US just puts them in ADX Florence where they are tortured mentally (complete isolation, no end in…

I am not talking about death penalty. I honestly think death penalty is too lenient. After you're dead there is no more punishment. And like you said:

> how many of them even expect to get out alive?

What I would want is suffering for a long time. Now is that justice or vengance? I say it's both.

> Which is probably what they deserve

Is that not what you would describe as just?

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#512
post #21

I'm a full on speciesist. let's do more of this. since we're already eating them I feel like this even a more reasonable usage of their lives. can we do kidneys next please? we can basically shut down most dialysis clinics after that.

The next logical step is to breed pigs with organs that especially suit humans, maybe with some genetic engineering to optimise them. I really can't see anyone needing an organ complaining that they're GMO. As long as we treat animals well while they're alive (and why wouldn't you, you want high quality low stress organs) then there's really no limit here, morally.

> As long as we treat animals well while they're alive (and why wouldn't you, you want high quality low stress organs) then there's really no limit here, morally.

We have a really, really, horrible history of treating animals. It's obvious we wouldn't treat them well.

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#513

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hostility towards FDA on HN is incredible. I wouldn't trust some VC funded startup bros with anything related to medicine at all without having passed every single regulatory board tangentially related to whatever they are doing, even more so after Theranos.

On the other hand, countless lives would have been saved had we started using the Covid vaccine before the FDA got around to authorizing it. Those VC-funded startup bros at Moderna really could have moved a lot faster without the government’s interference.

Incredible, thank you for the live example of this mindset.

This is the epitome of survivorship bias. The Moderna vaccine could have just as well made a lot of people very very sick. There are countless examples of problematic medicines and vaccines which didn't get the scrutiny the COVID vaccines got (and continue to get) simply because not enough people were relevant for the studies and statistics are subsequently weaker.

We should all appreciate it went through the regulatory process (accelerated) to confirm it does not before injecting millions of people with it.

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#514
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the FDA will insert itself to regulate medicine wherever it can. For example, the FDA has been pushing to regulate diagnostic tests as medical devices. It’s funny how Americans surrender medical autonomy to the government but draw a strict line in the sand in other issues

I have a weird muscle disease that is treated with just taking over the counter L-Carnitine. The issue, vitamins and supplements are not regulated. So, I will try to take a new brand and after a few days my symptoms will come back because the pills don't have the L-Carnitine like it says and there is no one to make sure it does. It will cost me four to seven days of pain, and no one is held responsible. My best guess…

I don't know if this helps you, but in case it does: They are regulated in Australia. Products that conform will have an AUST R or AUST L number on the packaging.

I learnt this at a talk I went to about 10 years ago. At the time, in the speakers opinion (who from memory was involved in surveillance testing of these products), some countries did regulate stuff like vitamin supplements, but Australia was the only country that "did it properly". And a major component of this was that their regulations covered ingredients and the supply chains.

A quick search turned up this article: https://www.tga.gov.au/blogs/tga-topics/how-are-vitamins-reg...

Finally, a word of caution given by the speaker: many companies/suppliers try to trick consumers online by selling cheaper versions with identical labelling but no AUST number and shipped directly from overseas so it technically counted as a consumer "importing" on their own. Idk if this loop hole still exists.

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#515
post #370

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you replace a human organ by organ with one from a pig, is he still the original human? Ship of piggus.

We basically have at least as many or more bacteria cells in us than human cells so are we actually a microbe?

Ask the speciesist ;)

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#516
post #445

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a slippery slope.. I think the uneducated are less likely to be vaccinated and it doesn't seem right to refuse service to someone because they believed something that was incorrect. Say there were people with mental handicaps that fell in this camp, it would be even worse. And where do you draw the line for who gets help for stuff unrelated to covid? Having a do no harm type moral code seems like the best way to…

Consider a hypothetical scenario: there is a fire in the woods and the government says "do not go into the woods". People choose to go to the woods and return as burnt victims. Hospitals should help these individuals, but if they fill up 100% of the hospital beds and we need to turn people who got hurt due to accidents who then die, the fault is on those who chose to go into the dangerous woods. It may be the case th…

The problem is that it's not as simple as that, everyone knows fire will hurt you. Our country is polarized and the truth is under attack. A large part of the population doesn't trust vaccines, they are not all idiots. They are victims of circumstance and don't know any better. I don't think it makes sense to equate them to suicidal people that are wandering around in forest fires.

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#517

I just want to say huge respect for Dr Mohammad who despite his faith decided to do what is right. It might not be well known but most muslims are raised with strong beliefs, even in educated countries (eg 85% in Pakistan support sharia). God bless Dr mohammad

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Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#518

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Abortion is largely accepted by Catholic scholars if there is, otherwise, a high risk of death. That doesn't mean all Catholic medical practitioners would carry out such an operation. I don't think the respect is misplaced.

That is absolutely false and made clear in the Catechism (though abortion is, fundamentally, not a matter of faith, but of ethics, contrary to popular misconception). Abortion understood as the intentional killing of the unborn child, even in the case of high risk of death, is always gravely morally illicit and falls under murder. Even in the given circumstance, it would violate the principle of double effect. Now, w…

> That is absolutely false and made clear in the Catechism (though abortion is, fundamentally, not a matter of faith, but of ethics, contrary to popular misconception).

A bit nit-picky, but while all authoritative documents (like the catechism) unequivocally condemns abortion, there is no shortage of Catholic scholars who are pro-abortion. Just like the Pontifical Commission on Birth Control. The scholars gave it the green light, but not even having “Pontifical” in the name made it remotely authoritative.

Re: Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

#520

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A few days ago I noted that recovering from having your sternum broken open takes 6-8 Can also confirm. I received CPR which cracked some ribs. I had to sleep in a chair for the first 5 weeks because lying down flat and getting back up again was so painful. Sneezing and coughing were excruciating until I found the trick of 'hugging' oneself just before to reduce chest movement.

I was amazed at how soon I could pick up my baby after her 4 heart surgeries. Obviously, it was a bum scoop as opposed to picking her up under the arms (never had that luxury), and she was medicated, but literally 3-5 days after surgeries, we're back to having skin-skin. Maybe it's because their bones aren't as strong as an adults and there's more flex, but still, really took me by surprise. Even hours after surgerie…

As a father of two little ones, my thoughts go out to you and your baby :)
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