Santorum has some... interesting ideas about what's going on in the Netherlands

[Torie]

The Reader's Digest version is that half of the euthanized folks in Holland are euthanized involuntarily (5% of all Dutch deaths are due to involuntarily euthanasia), so the elderly Dutch population "don't go to a Dutch hospital," but rather go to one outside the country, because they fear a Dutch hospital will deliberately kill them. It is all part of the culture of death sweeping the medical profession precipitated by abortion, which was the nose in the tent, and Obama wants the US to travel down the same road as The Netherlands.

Do any of our European friends know the facts on this one? This puppy needs a fact checker ASAP!

Oh, and does Rick know what euthanasia actually means?  What it does not mean is the withholding of hideously expensive treatment with limited prospects of efficacy for someone 95 years old as it were Rick. And how would the US ever be able to afford that anyway, if the government share of the GDP is to be slashed down from 23% to 18% as you advocate?  Just asking Rick.

[Torie]

The only study I found on this was a REALLY old one: http://www.euthanasia.com/holland99.html

Per the study, the non consensual euthanasia cases (900 total) were apparently because the patients were demented and non compis mentis.

[Torie]

The only study I found on this was a REALLY old one: http://www.euthanasia.com/holland99.html

Per the study, the non consensual euthanasia cases (900 total) were apparently because the patients were demented and non compis mentis.

I didn't even read the study.  I posted it more to just show that anything I could find that was in some way objective was really old.

Well I read it. Lawyers are used to reading texts.  Thanks for looking for something for me to read.

[Torie]

There's some core of truth to this idiowy in that I believe it's indeed quite common for Dutch people living near the border to seek medical help abroad, as there aren't any lengthy waiting lists in Belgium or Germany(?) .

Ah yes. A distaste for delay as opposed to fear of being offed. Rick might have been better off chatting about rationing through wait times. Just a thought. But then, that is not the kind of thing that gets Rick animated, now does it? No, it's all about ACE - Abortion, Contraception and Euthanasia.

[Torie]

Well, it was posted by a Dutch person

This should tell you everything about the credibility, Inks.

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Did you read the sources Phil, which sources are provided in the links of the text Link copied and pasted?  You might do that before dismissing what some foreign guy from a country you dislike has posted.

[Torie]

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Here's a bonus question. Is that age cohort the same in the Netherlands as it is in the US? What are some intrinsic factors that would explain the differences? All else being equal - I would expect the Netherlands to have higher life expectancy.

Why is anyone surprised that Catholic Santorum opposes euthanasia. Conception to natural death..

What is surprising is that Rick got almost all his facts wrong, and gilded the lily by making a basically false and misleading case that it ineluctably leads to involuntary euthanasia, and the Dutch elderly are running to foreign hospitals in fear of their lives. It was the involuntary bit that fueled Rick here. Otherwise, it would have been a big yawn. Rick wanted red meat, and stuck his foot in it trying to get it.