Canada: Not Dead Yet Responds to Quebec Commission Report on ‘Dying With Dignity’

March 26, 2012Amy Hasbrouck, assisted suicide, Canada, diane coleman, Our News & Commentary Blog, press release, QuebecStephen Drake

…sion has failed elders and people with disabilities.” The Commission was struck in December of 2009 to research and make recommendations on the issue of “death with dignity” in Québec. After more than two years of taking expert and citizen testimony, and visiting several jurisdictions where assisted suicide and euthanasia are legal, the Commission issued its report on March 22. The highlight of the report is 24 recommendations that emphasize the i…

NH: More on Steve Vaillancourt, Libertarian/Tea Party and Incrementalist/Slippery Slope Strategies

March 4, 2011assisted suicide, incrementalism, libertarians, New Hampshire, Our News & Commentary Blog, politics, slippery slope, Steve Vaillancourt, suicide, Tea PartyStephen Drake

…slippery slope” strategy at the site Political Strategy. Remember – in the world of political struggle, don’t let anyone corner you with the idea that the “slippery slope” is nothing more than a logical fallacy. It’s also an effective – and common – political strategy and it’s up us to redefine it. I’d also advise folks to keep a sharp eye on this new crop of “Tea Party” elected officials. They all tend to share the same combination of libertarian…

Not Getting on the POLST Bandwagon

August 23, 2011"end of life", advance directives, life-sustaining treatment, Our News & Commentary Blog, policy, POLSTDiane Coleman

…e a lot of potential reasons to doubt whether such unquestioning societal trust can ever be justified in the real world, reasons derived from factors like insurance coverage denials, medical error, medical malpractice, time constraints on physician visits, contractual constraints on “utilization” (i.e. provision of medical treatments), to name a few. But perhaps the most glaring factor that comes to my mind is the existence of laws in many states…

Follow-up: Writer with ALS Who Penned “The Good Short Life” Considers Hanging Around Longer

July 26, 2011als, choices, Dudley Clendinen, living well, Our News & Commentary Blog, suicideStephen Drake

…mous response–our own website received thousands of hits from all over the world, David Brooks referenced it in a column about the cost of health care, and Dudley received hundreds of letters–including one from a publishing house offering him a book deal. “It’s a really big offer,” says Dudley. “It may be the best deal a dying write has had since Ulysses S. Grant.” Dudley says that makes several things possible that he hadn’t thought were options….

NY Times: David Brooks says “self-enclosed skin bags” who want to live are driving the country into bankruptcy

July 19, 2011"The Unspoken Argument", budget reduction, class warfare, David Brooks, devaluation, New York Times, Our News & Commentary Blog, policyStephen Drake

…ferring money to providers than giving care to the public. In addition the World Socialist Web Site featured an essay by Kate Randall titled “The voice of the ruling class.” Randall makes some excellent points, although NDY doesn’t think Nazi analogies – even careful ones like the brief one in this essay – are very useful. We’d also disagree with the characterization of Obama’s health care reform efforts as “an unprecedented attack on health care…