Why are there so many people waiting for kidney transplants? Is it ethical to pay donors (Muttroxia gives a hearty “Yes!”) for their organs?
This very readable article dives into some of the problems and solutions. One of the things I liked about it is it’s sense of moral outrage. This is a solvable problems, and every day it isn’t solved increases human misery that much more.
(oh if only I had been the one to create the ‘enlightened self-interest’ phrase…then perhaps I could have an easy life as a pundit…of course, I have to take joy in minimalizing the views and beliefs of my opponents, but hey…)
and, lets not forget
1. less poverty = less crime
2. you and I could very easily end up poor. It takes two steps
– losing your job
– followed by a medical/health emergency.
Welcome to the land of the terminally fucked.
Wanting to help the poor need not be anything but an act of self-interest. It simply requires seeing beyond today.
“I didn’t really do anything to deserve this job, in the big picture. I was born to middle class parents who encouraged my education and thats really how I ended up where I am.”
Hear, hear. That’s my take on liberalism in a nutshell. I am for giving stuff to the poor because they (overwhelmingly) ended up there through an accident of birth.
I like how he phrased this: “Outlawing payments to donors is ostensibly a way to keep the system fair, giving rich and poor an equally lousy chance of getting a kidney”
I’ve never bought into this. The fact that many suffer doesn’t mean, to me, that some shouldn’t get out of it.
In point of fact, we do this every day.
I have a good job, and so I eat well.
I didn’t really do anything to deserve this job, in the big picture. I was born to middle class parents who encouraged my education and thats really how I ended up where I am.
Should I choose to be homeless instead?
I also have health insurance. Should I give that up?
Our economic and healthcare systems are horribly unfair, and have to change, but that doesn’t mean no one should be able to see a doctor.