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Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
331–340 of 655 posts
Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#332Earlier quoted context omitted.
Neither you nor I know what the person with dementia is suffering from. What you call "comforting" is leaving a helpless prison in the wilderness to succumb to thirst, hunger or predators
Thirst and hunger. They’re meant to die a peaceful death so pretty sure no predators involved. Go to a dementia facility and hang out with your those people. You will see suffering.
My grandmother died of dementia.
If you think that "cannot feed themselves" is when a person is already completely gone and it's okay to "leave them under a tree to die of hunger and thirst", I've got news for you.
Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#333Seems like a good way to go out, "my choice, my body" . I realize some psychological exam should be necessary before such things but it really should be self-determined within reason. I hate that USA is so far behind the curve on this, but eventually we might catch up on it with Europe and not have to resort to more ugly methods.
Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
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Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#335The sad demise of Robin Williams made me a believer of assisted suicide. The option to go out with dignity should be available to everyone. That said, there is a problem in at least some places where assisted suicide is available where it keeps getting recommended to disabled people who don't want to die. That needs to be solved. Seems like an easy solve. Just don't do it. There is a cost reduction incentive, though,…
> That said, there is a problem in at least some places where assisted suicide is available where it keeps getting recommended to disabled people who don't want to die. Where? This is a thing which always pops up in these debates because it is a deep-rooted fear, but are there countries where this is a thing?
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Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#336Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah but if you are in that state, you probably don’t give a shit and everybody else seems to be the problem. So how do you solve this? When dementia isn’t too far progressed, your life seems to be still worthwhile to live and once the dementia gets worse, it’s too late to realize this.
I read that in some societies, if you ended up not being able to feed yourself, they would bring you to your favorite tree and leave you there. If you ended back in camp you’d be welcomed. If you didn’t, that was your end. I found that remarkably comforting and peaceful.
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Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#337I'm surprised and fascinated that this is apparently legal in Switzerland. The Netherlands, famous for allowing assisted suicide, has pretty strict criteria for this[1]. In particular, the physician must "be satisfied that the patient’s suffering is unbearable, with no prospect of improvement", which from this article sounds far from the case here. [1] https://www.government.nl/topics/euthanasia/is-euthanasia-al...
Euthanasia in Switzerland ^ has been a notorious profitable practice for years, compared to the Netherlands where it's almost exclusively practiced on those with terminal debilitating disease. ^ Yes, it's "illegal" but it's effectively nulled if the means to it are made legal.
Then I do wonder why no company has come knocking to the door of the hospital room where I'm sitting right this minute waiting for my terminally ill mother to die.
Because since years she's member of EXIT, the well-known Swiss institution that is providing assisted suicide services, and it would still take several weeks for us to jump through all the required paper and legal hoops to get the ball rolling.
And now she being already unconcious and therefore incapable, most ways are blocked already, as others pointed out, so I'm not sure we could accelerate the process at all.
Sorry, but your comment smells rather about peddling fakery, especially as you have provided heaps of reliable references.
Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#338Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think people tend to underestimate the risks in allowing suicide —- here’s a blurb from the linked article: However, social acceptance may lead to more egregious abuses: the issue gained a higher profile in early 2010, when an 80-year-old man escaped after discovering his intended fate and heard his family members discussing how they were going to "share" his lands, and took refuge in a relative's home.
That’s not suicide. That’s a conspiracy to commit murder.
Yes, and that is one of the reasons our culture has made practices like these taboo- it can give the veneer of respectability to despicable acts
Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#339Earlier quoted context omitted.
With suicide being illegal in most jurisdictions, not everyone interviewed may have been honest in relating their feelings. If you have suicidal ideations, telling others about them can have severely negative consequences. Saying “I wish it had worked” would likely create ongoing jeopardy.
I'm sorry but this feels kind of specious. Especially if the person has already admitted to trying to commit suicide (which they presumably did considering the context from parent comment).
Admitting to a past feelings and actions is quite different than admitting to present feelings and potential future actions. Wishing it worked indicates the a possibility that they might want to try again.
Re: Daniel Kahneman opted for assisted suicide in Switzerland
#340Earlier quoted context omitted.
The parent described someone who went above and beyond the norm of other members in his community in his constant positive interaction with his neighbors, collegues, and former students. It is highly likely this kind of person would give a considerable shit if he knew he would become a nightmare for the same community. There may be others reading in the thread who also can relate to the personality of the teacher and…
There's a difference between "I don't want the disease because I don't want to become a menace to others" (what you're saying) and "I don't want the disease because it would make me lose social status" (what the original commenter said).
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