Didnt the nazi's belive in this ?

[vinty]

This is modern Britain for you,
The Nazis ideology was inspired by Brits like Darwin,Galton and Maria Stopes so I dont understand why everone blames the Nazis when this sort of thing happens.

I can agree with you that Sir Francis Galton was the father of eugenics, but so far as I have been able to ascertain he did not entertain murdering "imperfect" specimens, which is what the Nazis did. Charles Darwin, whilst a cousin (?) of Dalton did not so far as I can tell postulate ideas of selective breeding of human beings, nor of compulsory euthansia. He did put forward the concept of natural selection which to my mind is completely different. The third of your "triumverate of evil", Marie Stopes, was a true feminist who believed in the principle of controlled reproduction through contraception (or giving women back control over their bodies). It is difficult to see how anyone other than a religious zealot could object to her or her work. With you being in Belfast and referring to "Brits" would I be right in assuming that you are a Republican Northern Irish catholic?

The whole discussion about LCP must also raise the subject of voluntary euthansia, currently classed as murder in the UK. Surely it's time to rethink our attitude about this, preferably withouth the overbearing interference of religious bigotry

The point I was making was that Nazi ideas of race are not a perculiar trait confined to Germans, the writings of scientific racists like Darwin (who believed that blacks were closer to apes than whites) had a great influence on Nazi racial theory.
As for Maria Stopes she was an anti semitic crank who liked to send letters to Hitler, she campaigned for the compulsory sterilisation of the poor and disabled to achieve what she described as racial purification leading to a utopia of perfect specimens.
When her son married a woman who wore glasses she disowned him and never forgave him for introducing physically inferior stock into the family.
Stopes clinics were almost always in poor areas, she believed that the poor were having to many kids and that the 'better' classes could be outbred or contaminated with dodgy blood.
It has to be said though by the standards of her day her views were considered progressive by a lot of people.
PS. I would like to point out that i used the term 'Brit' as shorthand for British it wasn't intended as a perjorative.

 

[gas112]

I dont disagree with its use but it has to be the patients choice not the doctors. And certainly not a financial choice.
We all have different views on what is waiting for us and if someone wants to hang in there right to the end (possibly waiting for a miracle) who is anyone to take that away from them without their consent

 

[joe-90]

I dont disagree with its use but it has to be the patients choice not the doctors. And certainly not a financial choice.
We all have different views on what is waiting for us and if someone wants to hang in there right to the end (possibly waiting for a miracle) who is anyone to take that away from them without their consent

That's fine but you pay for it then - not the rest of us.

 

[JohnD]

"Mercy Killing" should be done as an act of mercy, and not to save money.

 

[mark vincent]

I wonder what Dr Harold Shipmans attitude to this subject would be, the right to die is one thing but the right to killed is another.
The laws we have at present are not there to make people suffer they are they to prevent vulnerable people from being killed.