https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/death-in-america-is-getting-more-painful/385230/
Back in the day, we used to die of diseases that killed us rather quickly and rather earlier on in life. Now we live longer, but have to suffer longer and longer, and with more and more pain, from chronic diseases that take their toll, rather than from some acute deadly thing that takes you quickly.
I kinda miss those days of the past, you live till you’re middle age, then some nasty disease takes you and off you go. For those with depression and/or health issues, it just prolongs the agony. And if you don’t have health issues yet, you will.
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Quality of life. It’s all about preservation and quality of life, for we are a decent, civilized species, separated from the beasts of the animal kingdom by our weapons and cunning intellect. We are a blessed, gentle and thoughtful sort, desiring only the best for our brothers and sisters, unless their skin is a different color, their political or religious ideology different, or their customs such that we feel intimidated and alienated within our own borders. Then, we just kill ’em, and claim victory in the name of our imagined god, and resume our altruistic, benevolent superiority.
I probably should watch the video you posted, sorry if my rant is out of context! 🙂
…or if we pose the idea to pool our resources in order to better take care of everyone, even within a small subset of the population. I’m alright Jack, but keep your hands off of my stack. Greedy poor people are the worst.
Quality of life? Pfff. Nah, it’s about how much can we extract from you. Human history has always been about money. And power. Those who have neither have no quality of life.
How much money do you have = how much your life is worth = how well you get treated in life. With some of the above stuff you mentioned. Quality of life my tushie. We have as much quality of life as an ant. Heck, I’d rather be an ant. Less shady business with ants.
@rivets- we actually do have enough money to take care of everyone. But they’ve convinced the masses “we just don’t have the money to fund..[insert life-saving x, y, z]…”
It’s just that the assholes steal our money and use it to line their own pockets, or the pockets of their cronies, ie “private contractors.”
We don’t have money for medicare but somehow we have trillions for war. We don’t have money for food stamps for the starving poor, but we sure have tons of money for private government jets that cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars- PER congressmen/senator/vulture. We don’t have money to educate our kids so that they actually know how to, you know, read n’ stuff. But we sure need to cut taxes for the rich, and only the rich.
I mean, what poor kid or fella needs to have 3 square meals and a warm bed? I, Scrooge McDuck, need another golden toilet! Damnit, git with the program you slaves! Now someone fetch me my 1000-count toilet paper and wipe my golden ass!
And the poor weapons contractors! Won’t someone think of the poor weapons manufacturer CEOs? What if we stopped dropping countless bombs all over the place in Afghanistan and Syria? Goodness, it’s frightening to think of it. I hear they’re making good progress on that F35. Only a few trillion dollars more and it should be ready to take off without malfunctioning and giving the pilot a seizure. Progress!
And all the terrorists attacks in retaliation for us bombing their homes and people. But hey, all that just means more hospital visits, which = mo’ money for the Medical Industrial Complex!! It’s a win-win!
I still wonder if an advanced medical directive can short circuit most of the suffering you are referring to or if AMDs are still being generally blown off by EMTs and doctors as they historically have been.
I have an AMD. Actually it’s called an Advanced Healthcare Directive. And no, it won’t.
I see, it is called an Advanced Healthcare Directive and you have one. Quick question: By “And no, it won’t” do you mean it will not be blown off but rather be taken seriously and complied with these days?
I mean, no, it’s useless to end your suffering, as in the AHD only applies if you die and need to be resuscitated. It can only apply a DNR. It does no good to you otherwise. As in if you’re alive and depressed, tough shit. So an AHD only applies if you die. Or are in a coma. Then they can pull the plug. Assuming they apply your DNR wishes.
Thanks for the additional info. Makes sense now. Meanwhile I finally googled this subject for my state of Colorado.
CO has a DNR plus just about anything you could ever dream of in what it calls an Advanced Medical Directive – but – it is easy for me to see that the AMD as it is called in this state has one huge flaw – a copy of it has to be available to any one and everyone who would handle my care and my medical proxy would have to be very proactive to see to it that its provisions really got carried out. I personally don’t feel safe from unwanted medical attention with it.
As for ending suffering, even the Colorado AMD really would not do that, strictly speaking. It would keep them from prolonging my life (next best thing) if that is how I wrote it – but – that would only be true if they really heeded it and I prefer to think that is going to be spotty at best.
This is why I will always have to have an out of my own.
I guess every state has it’s own term. Here it’s called EoLOA. Yes, you should have your own way out. The way these laws are written, it’s like the OPTION is technically there, but in actuality, it’s very very very difficult to qualify. So essentially, for most people, they don’t qualify and it’s not really an option. Which is ridiculous. Let the old, weak, sick, depressed and hopeless die. And die with dignity. Sheesh. Why’s it so damn hard?
Oh, and Advanced Healthcare Directive is something different from AMD. One is what every state already has (DNR) and the other is End of Life (EOL)- which is legal only in a few states.
It used to be only Oregon but now there’s 5 States (+DC) that have Death with Dignity Statutes. CO is one of the five. Glad it’s expanding but the law is still too restrictive. So so few qualify.
Also, it requires you to actually die first. And then you can opt for DNR when the occasion arises. If you’re just a depressed fucker who’s alive and is taking years to die, too bad for you.