Should it be legal to sell your own organs?

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

There's always a shortage of organs (and driverless cars could make this even more of a problem as road accidents are one of the more reliable sources of useful, young and healthy organs)  and waiting lists for kidneys, the organ most relevant here. (If you try and sell your own brain for cash, the donor may reject it for more than one reason). People without kidneys live in quite miserable conditions, linked to expensive dialysis machines while Doctors make various grim utilitarian calculations about their need for it; in the US 18 people a day die waiting. Undoubtedly the lives of many would be liberated by a fresh source of cheap kidneys (not to mention the alleviated costs for hospitals, given the expense of dialysis).

Kidneys are sold for varying amounts but the US black market apparantly values it as around 250,000 dollars. With the proviso that costs would probably change if the market was legalised and the donor wouldn't receive all of the cash, that's still potentially life-changing stuff for an organ that you always have a spare of. After all, we accept the selling of other human body matter like eggs (which is itself an invasive procedure with its own risks).

However there are a lot of ethical red flags, which is one the reasons organ selling is currently illegal in most countries. What are your thoughts?

[nclib]

It shouldn't be legal to sell your own organs, but it would be good if living donors were compensated through the government or other collective.

Also, not sure what point you're trying to make about driverless cars - are you saying there would be fewer people killed in accidents, and therefore fewer deceased organs available?

[dead0man]

Of course

[Lechasseur]

No

[Vosem]

Given the vast number of lives that could be saved with this policy, should absolutely be legal. I think this one is a bit no-brainer-ish, to be honest.

[dw93]

Given the vast number of lives that could be saved with this policy, should absolutely be legal. I think this one is a bit no-brainer-ish, to be honest.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

It shouldn't be legal to sell your own organs, but it would be good if living donors were compensated through the government or other collective.

Also, not sure what point you're trying to make about driverless cars - are you saying there would be fewer people killed in accidents, and therefore fewer deceased organs available?

Yes:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/a24570/self-driving-cars-could-cause-massive-organ-shortage/

https://futurism.com/self-driving-cars-will-save-lives-on-roads-but-will-they-cause-donor-organ-shortages/

[Fight for Trump]

No, look what happened to Trump after he sold his spine.

[Ohioguy29]

Weird to see other people saying that making this legal should be a no-brainer, when I think it's a no-brainer that it should be illegal. Shows how different people's ways of thinking can be!

[RINO Tom]

Lean no.

[Del Tachi]

No, there are several non-market ways to address the organ donation crisis.

I would suggest changing the process for becoming an organ donor to an "opt-out" system instead of an "opt-in" one.  Most people are not organ donors because of laziness, not moral opposition.

[Fight for Trump]

Lean no.

The RINO expresses signs of humanity.

[dead0man]

No, there are several non-market ways to address the organ donation crisis.

you said this then went on to talk about how to get more future dead people to sign up.  Are there several ways to convince LIVING people to give up a kidney or bone marrow without paying them or being related to them?


Why are the people on the other side?  Is it because you hate poor people or do you hate rich people?  Or is it just because you find the idea icky and the harm this bad does to poor and rich is just an effect from that?

[Del Tachi]

No, there are several non-market ways to address the organ donation crisis.

you said this then went on to talk about how to get more future dead people to sign up.  Are there several ways to convince LIVING people to give up a kidney or bone marrow without paying them or being related to them?

And?  Is there a shortage of dead people that I don't know about?  The vast majority (86 percent) of organs donated in the United States come from deceased donors.  Increasing the number of deceased donors is the best way to increase the supply of organs available for transplant.   

In countries where "opt-out" policies are the norm, such as Austria, organ donation rates are over 99%.  Such a policy in the United States would likewise increase the availability of organs available for transplant and we wouldn't have to face murky moral questions about the morality of creating a market for organs. 

[WritOfCertiorari]

No, there are several non-market ways to address the organ donation crisis.

I would suggest changing the process for becoming an organ donor to an "opt-out" system instead of an "opt-in" one.  Most people are not organ donors because of laziness, not moral opposition.

I disagree with this, honestly. For a couple of reasons, but mostly because of property rights/ownership of our bodies that liberals claim to love. I have no objection to organ donations, just "forced" donation.

[Del Tachi]

No, there are several non-market ways to address the organ donation crisis.

I would suggest changing the process for becoming an organ donor to an "opt-out" system instead of an "opt-in" one.  Most people are not organ donors because of laziness, not moral opposition.

I disagree with this, honestly. For a couple of reasons, but mostly because of property rights/ownership of our bodies that liberals claim to love. I have no objection to organ donations, just "forced" donation.

Its not slavery, just changing the default option.  It would be as easy to opt-out of being an organ donor as it is to opt-into being one right now. 

[dead0man]

And?  Is there a shortage of dead people that I don't know about?  The vast majority (86 percent) of organs donated in the United States come from deceased donors.

And?  People are not at liberty to give them out when they are living, of course the vast majority is going to come from dead people.  A kidney from a healthy, living donor is going to be way better (on average) than the one they scrape out of a random, dying motorcyclist.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

no, it's the best way to increase the number of organs available from deceased people

You must be logged in to read this quote.

AND IT STILL WON"T BE ENOUGH, and that's one third of the point (the other two being:better organs and, most importantly, humans should be able to do what they want with their body).

I'm not against an "opt-out" policy by the way.

[nclib]

The procedure of being a living donor is much easier than before. (I am a recipient from a living donor).

As I said earlier:

It shouldn't be legal to sell your own organs, but it would be good if living donors were compensated through the government or other collective.

This would also save lives without putting rich people needing organs ahead of poor people needing organs.

[dead0man]

The procedure of being a living donor is much easier than before. (I am a recipient from a living donor).

As I said earlier:

It shouldn't be legal to sell your own organs, but it would be good if living donors were compensated through the government or other collective.

This would also save lives without putting rich people needing organs ahead of poor people needing organs.

couldn't we do both?  We have kickstarter and what have you now.  I'm sure if a case is tragic enough, it wouldn't be too hard to pony up $40k for a kidney for a poor kid.  I'm pretty sure dogs have gotten that much, certainly things much dumber than saving the life of a poor child.