Economist – Doctors should be allowed to help the suffering and terminally ill to die when they choose
The argument is over the right to die with a doctor’s help at the time and in the manner of your own choosing. As yet only a handful of European countries, Colombia and five American states allow some form of doctor-assisted dying. But draft bills, ballot initiatives and court cases are progressing in 20 more states and several other countries (see article).
In Canada the Supreme Court recently struck down a ban on helping patients to die; its ruling will take effect next year. In the coming months bills will go before parliaments in Britain and Germany. …
No doubt some members of this organization (Travolta, Cruise for example) believe it’s been positive for their lives. But the “religion” itself is based on irrational nonsense. Scientology should no be getting religious status under any tax code.
L. Ron Hubbard … often referred to by his initials, LRH, was an American author and the founder of the Church of Scientology. After establishing a career as a writer, becoming best known for his science fictionand fantasy stories, he developed a system called Dianetics which was first expounded in book form in May 1950. He subsequently developed his ideas into a wide-ranging set of doctrines and rituals as part of a new religious movement that he called Scientology.
He was, in fact, a troubled man. Charismatic. But quite possibly mentally ill himself. Paranoid. Sometimes a danger to his family and followers.
No genius.
David Miscavige ( born April 30, 1960) is now the leader. A good buddy of Tom Cruise.
The Koch brothers aren’t true evil, I was surprised to learn. But they’ve put together a coalition that intends to spend almost $1 billion in 2016.
I do believe that money is intended to buy election wins for Republican candidates who will be expected to support polices that benefit … the Koch brothers.
This is a business move. Though they lost perhaps half a billion trying to defeat Obama, they hope to get back more than 1.5 billion if the next President is a Republican.
Click PLAY or watch a protest song on YouTube.
If you don’t like billionaires buying elections, campaign against the politicians they support.
In the United States 98% of women have used birth control at some point in time and 62% of those of reproductive age are currently using birth control …
(I assume the other 2% practice abstinence.)
About a third of American women will have an abortion in their lifetime. It’s a difficult and traumatic decision for most. 😦
Anything we can do to reduce the rates of unwanted pregnancy and abortion should be considered.
old white men deciding what women can do with their bodies
If you restrict access to sex education and contraception, expect more abortions.
Roman Catholics and (many) evangelicals should expect more abortions because they limit access to contraceptives.
The Roman Catholic Church should council women not to have abortions. But then provide help for those additional children they want born. Many are born to young, poor and distressed mothers who don’t have access to abortion. Those children really need the help of the Church.
___
… Around 44 million abortions occur each year in the world, with a little under half done unsafely.
Abortion rates have changed little between 2003 and 2008, before which they decreased for decades due to better education about family planning and birth control. …
Those who are against abortion largely claim that an embryo or fetus is a human with a right to life and may compare it to murder.
Supporters point to a woman’s right to decide over her own body and to human rights in general. …
The blue and green colours indicate those nations where abortion is mostly legal on request.
“Every Sperm is Sacred” is a Monty Python musical sketch satire of Catholic teachings on reproduction that forbid masturbation and contraception by artificial means.
Obviously 1 egg or 1 sperm is NOT life.
But there is a legitimate argument on when a human life actually begins. I don’t have a strong opinion on this.
A late-term abortion often refers to an induced abortion procedure that occurs after the 20th week of gestation. Those are – obviously – even worse than first trimester abortions.
With typical lack of research I caught the last ferry from Nanaimo to Tsawwassen. You could ASSume the British Columbia government would require public transport to meet every ferry.
You’d assume wrong. 😦 Public transport meets every ferry except the last one of the day. People get stranded every night.
I found this out by asking the ferry purser. A regular truck driver happened to be standing there at the time. He immediately offered me a ride from the ferry terminal to the Vancouver Sky Train. 🙂
It was after 1am when I got to the elevated platform. With 4 minutes to spare I jumped on the last train. 🙂
A couple hours sleep in the airport. Then the easy check-in to the first flight of the day at 6am.
Arriving Denver I had one errand. To send a piece of snail mail. The only post office in that airport was closed for lunch. But a lady waiting in line kindly gave me an American stamp. 🙂
Pay it forward.
Betsy had recommended a new inexpensive bus service out of Denver into the Rocky mountains. The driver sized me up and said: “I believe you might be a Senior”.
I got the discounted old-timer’s fare on the 4th day of the service. 🙂
I’m very critical of the American military. Seems to me near everything they’ve done since WW II has been a waste of taxpayer dollars and lives. The reputation of the American Government worldwide has never been worse.
But there’s no doubt that entering into WW II was justified. They were attacked by Japan.
The Axis forces – Hitler in particular – had to be stopped. I said in High School that I’d go back in time and kill Hitler in the crib if I could.
I thank the USA for entering into WW II. And for doing a good job in helping to end that war as quickly as possible.
You can argue that only one nuclear bomb was needed in Japan, not two. But – to be fair – it’s difficult to judge those making the decisions at that time.
For 20 years The Economist has led calls for a rethink on drug prohibition. This film looks at new approaches to drugs policy, from Portugal to Colorado. “Drugs: War or Store?” kicks off our new “Global Compass” series, examining novel approaches to policy problems.
A Hollywood simpleton’s version, for sure. But it’s a good glimpse into the ethical dilemmas of western boots on the ground in the Muslim world. I recommend Homeland.
Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison is a manic CIA intelligence officer assigned to the Counterterrorism Center. She fanatically wants to defend America … at any cost.
In the fourth season, Carrie is working as a CIA station chief in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Carrie’s failures are symbolic of the failures of the USA in that region.
On Metacritic, it has a score of 74 out of 100, based on 22 reviews.[22] On Rotten Tomatoes, the season received an 82% rating based on 49 reviews with an average rating of 8.0/10. The critical consensus reads “Homeland is back on top, with a renewed energy and focus not seen since its first season.” …
I’d agree. Seasons 1 and 4 are the best, so far.
… According to media reports, Pakistani officials were unhappy over the depiction of Pakistan in the fourth season. …
L. Ron Hubbard
