Comments by "Halfdan Ingolfsson" (@Halli50) on "Thom Hartmann Program"
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Thom, this episode will result in a deluge of real-life stories about similar cases in different countries. I have more than one of my own. Being well over 70, older relatives have been dropping off at regular intervals (grandparents and great-grandparents dying of old age decades ago do not really count as such), but I have been lucky in that no really close relative has died until 2020. My mother hit the wall 2 years ago, dementia and cardiovascular problems being instrumental, partly the result of lifelong smoking. She had a very productive life and died with dignity at the age of 88. My father is 95, aiming for 100, but is expected to go next.
I have not even bothered to look into the legal details, but in my country (Iceland) there is an arrangement where the medical professionals discuss - at length - the prospects with the closest relatives of a terminal patient and, when the time comes, the patient is put on "líknandi meðferð", i.e. a decision is made by everyone involved to simply cease all life support, just keep the dying individual pain-free and as lucid as possible until the end. This is not active euthanasia, just an informed and educated decision to stop fighting the inevitable.
Needless to say, we have Universal Health Care in Iceland, the entire cost of departing this life is borne by the entire society, whether it takes a few days or some years. The only thing the relatives have to handle financially are the funeral costs.
By the way, we try to treat the other end of life (birth) the same way: Most everything is free - the current anomaly being a woman with severe pregnancy complications living in a remote rural area having to suffer travel costs not called for by someone in a similar situation, living close to a high-tech hospital. It is being worked on!
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I'm a bit confused: Thom talks about "Judge-made law" and "Supreme-court-made law", which makes absolutely no sense!
Even in the silly, crazy, off-the-rocker US the courts are only supposed to arbitrate the law as determined by Congress. If the courts e.g. find a new piece of legislation not in compliance with the Constitution, all that happens is that Congress has to address and correct the faults found by the courts. Revised laws will be passed, and woe betide any Supreme Court Justices that continue defy the lawmakers.
In the Lunatic States of America, the dysfunctional Congress supposedly makes the laws, e.g. the House of Representatives passes a law bill but the incredibly corrupt McConnell-controlled Senate ensures that no sensible, population-oriented laws have actually been passed and ratified for a decade or two. The only laws passing the Senate under McConnell during the last 1-2 years have been of the billionaire-oriented tax breaks or "rape-the-environment-as-you like" variety.
Still, laws are supposedly passed by Congress (the Legislative branch), enforced by the Executive branch (the Presidential figurehead) and arbitrated by the now-obviously-corrupt Judiciary branch.
In the last few decades, the US Supreme Court has made decisions that ignore the needs of the general US population, undermines the rights of ordinary citizens and serve the purpose of corporations and the very rich! The very definition of corruption! A real "let them eat cake!" moment"! The last time that happened, the Guillotine was invented and used effectively!
This will end in a bloodbath, and Supreme Court Justices will NOT be exempt! Imagine revolution Guillotine moments!
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