By: Jože Biščak
There was no surprise. There could not have been one. The coalition, bound to the “culture of death,” confirmed in parliament that the draft law on assistance in voluntary end-of-life, as the leftists sweetly call euthanasia, is suitable for further consideration. And you can be sure that the law will be definitively passed by autumn at the latest. Doctors who care little for the Hippocratic Oath (which demands the preservation of life, not its termination) and are indifferent to whether they become professional killers are already preparing deadly cocktails for the first candidates. The government project, which is in fact a revival of the National Socialist project “Aktion T4,” is thus in its final phase.
Anyone with even a passing interest in the history of World War II has surely come across “Aktion T4” (short for Tiergartenstraße 4, the street address in Berlin where the six-year project, launched in 1939, was headquartered). Certain German doctors were authorised to select the “incurably ill.” Even nearly 100 years ago, it was claimed that the suffering would be granted a dignified and painless death. At the same time, much like today’s law drafters argue, it was said that this would save money otherwise spent on costly care. Yes, that is how it started. We all know how it ended: the euthanasia programme expanded to include those deemed unfit to survive (the poor and beggars), ideological opponents (opponents of Hitler’s regime), and the genetically unfit (Jews, Roma, Slavs).
Postmodern euthanasia in Slovenia will initially be based on voluntariness and medical opinion on the incurability of the illness and the suffering it causes. Well, that is how it started in the countries that legalised euthanasia long ago (Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium), but today in these countries, euthanasia has become a true death industry. A doctor’s opinion is no longer required for execution; lay mediators or even euthanasia providers now decide. The condition of being “without any possibility of improvement, enduring severe and intense physical pain, extreme psychological distress, or both” is no longer a requirement – reasons are now arbitrary. More than that. There are even cases where euthanasia is advertised and encouraged. The most widely publicised case was that of Christine Gauthier, a military veteran and Paralympian, who requested a stairlift but was instead offered euthanasia. “If you are that desperate, ma’am, we can offer you MAID, medical assistance in dying,” they wrote to her in a letter. There are countless such stories. Around the world, they are collected and published by the conservative group Christian Concern.
Alan Nichols (61) was euthanised in Canada. His only listed illness and reason for euthanasia was hearing loss. Alan’s brother Gary stated: “He was basically executed… he needed help and was not disabled enough to qualify for euthanasia.” In the Netherlands, 29-year-old Zoraya ter Beek was euthanised after a long struggle with mental health and depression due to unbearable psychological suffering that was deemed untreatable. Although she was physically healthy, she received no support in overcoming her depression; instead, she was encouraged to see death as the only way out. In Belgium, 36-year-old Alexina Wattiez died after unsuccessful palliative treatment, when nurses suffocated her with a pillow (the doctor’s lethal injection did not work). In Canada, 51-year-old Sophia turned to euthanasia after unsuccessfully seeking a different, more suitable apartment to ease her life with chronic pain.
That is why we must “kill the law,” not the sick people. They need help. Otherwise, full liberalisation and legalisation of euthanasia will lead to pharmaceutical companies no longer developing effective treatments for pain and suffering – there will be no more medicines that truly help people at the end of their earthly journey. There will only be substances that hasten and ease the path to the beyond (including for those who think differently). And that, apparently, is the goal of the leftists.