spoiler

"... when the Canadian parliament enacted Bill C-7, a sweeping euthanasia law which repealed the ‘reasonably foreseeable’ requirement – and the requirement that the condition should be ‘terminal’. Now, as long as someone is suffering from an illness or disability which ‘cannot be relieved under conditions that you consider acceptable’, they can take advantage of what is now known euphemistically as ‘medical assistance in dying’ (MAID for short) for free.

Soon enough, Canadians from across the country discovered that although they would otherwise prefer to live, they were too poor to improve their conditions to a degree which was acceptable..."

"A woman in Ontario was forced into euthanasia because her housing benefits did not allow her to get better housing which didn’t aggravate her crippling allergies. Another disabled woman applied to die because she ‘simply cannot afford to keep on living’. Another sought euthanasia because Covid-related debt left her unable to pay for the treatment which kept her chronic pain bearable"

"When the family of a 35-year-old disabled man who resorted to euthanasia arrived at the care home where he lived, they encountered ‘urine on the floor… spots where there was feces on the floor… spots where your feet were just sticking. Like, if you stood at his bedside and when you went to walk away, your foot was literally stuck.’ According to the Canadian government, the assisted suicide law is about ‘prioritis[ing] the individual autonomy of Canadians’; one may wonder how much autonomy a disabled man lying in his own filth had in weighing death over life."

:doomjak:

    • MF_BROOM [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      That final paragraph is a doozy:

      Next year, the floodgates will open even further when those suffering from mental illness – another disproportionately poor group – become eligible for assisted suicide, although enthusiastic doctors and nurses have already pre-empted the law. There is already talk of allowing ‘mature minors’ access to euthanasia too – just think of the lifetime savings. But remember, slippery slopes are always a fallacy.

      :jesus-christ:

      • UlyssesT
        ·
        edit-2
        27 days ago

        deleted by creator

          • knifestealingcrow [any]
            hexagon
            ·
            3 years ago

            Even before Bill C-7 entered into force, the country’s Parliamentary Budget Officer published a report about the cost savings it would create: whereas the old MAID regime saved $86.9 million per year – a ‘net cost reduction’, in the sterile words of the report – Bill C-7 would create additional net savings of $62 million per year. Healthcare, particular for those suffering from chronic conditions, is expensive; but assisted suicide only costs the taxpayer $2,327 per ‘case’.

            The paragraph in question

            • ass [he/him,comrade/them]
              ·
              3 years ago

              imagine the savings if we wiped out the entire human race in a nuclear holocaust but left an automated money printer and a paper factory hooked up to a hydroelectric dam

          • Ligma_Male [comrade/them]
            ·
            3 years ago

            i think that's an allusion to the one about vagrancy law equally preventing the rich and poor from sleeping under a bridge

        • GreenTeaRedFlag [any]
          ·
          3 years ago

          That was one of the voices I had to kill in my own head, can't imagine hearing it from a doctor.

        • Aryuproudomenowdaddy [comrade/them]
          ·
          3 years ago

          I've been reading a book that goes over early eugenics and "Just think about how much these people cost" was always the driving force.

          • UlyssesT
            ·
            edit-2
            27 days ago

            deleted by creator

    • knifestealingcrow [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      Unfortunately, eugenics isn't a new thing here. Canada and Canadian doctors have been practicing eugenics in the form of legally and illegally forced or coerced sterilization from 1928 to 2017 (at least, that's the most recent known case) largely targeting indigenous people, those experiencing mental health problems, and people with disabilities.

      If anything, bill C-7 and it's subsequent expansions are just a reintroduction of its legal form that conveniently has a built in "but it's voluntary" cop out