I think this is a quality of life issue similar to the recent story about the deaf twins in Belgium being euthanized.
Story from Japan Today, 1/22/13:
Finance Minister Taro Aso said Monday the elderly should be allowed
to “hurry up and die” instead of costing the government money for
life-prolonging medical care.
Aso, who also doubles as deputy prime minister, said during a meeting
of the National Council on Social Security Reforms: “Heaven forbid if
you are forced to live on when you want to die. You cannot sleep well
when you think it’s all being paid for by the government.
“This won’t be solved unless you let them hurry up and die,” he said.
“I don’t need that kind of care. I will die quickly,” he said adding
he had left written instructions that his life is not artificially
prolonged.
During the meeting, he reportedly referred to “tube people” when talking of patients who cannot feed themselves.
Read the whole story and reader comments: http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/aso-says-elderly-should-be-allowed-to-hurry-up-and-die
1 comment:
Whilst he sounds characteristically untactful and even a little off-base, I do think it is ridiculous the way people are burdened with barely alive relatives here, simply because of the unavailability of euthanasia in almost any circumstances. I have friends who can barely leave their home because of commitments to immobile elders, who can barely communicate.
Imposing his would be different, but there is a time when the technology to prolong a thin strand of physical existance would be better left alone.
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