Let's off Granma!

[bigrubberjeep]

Originally posted by turbo6bar
I have mentioned this plan before. I hope it finds some traction. Send the boomers and aging population to Mexico. Flood the borders. Put $1000 in the pocket of every able-bodied old fart and send them south. Mexicans are crushing the infrastructure in many states. It is time we give Mexico equivalent medicine.

I'm going to take a 2x4 after my parents, and my reluctance to take medicine or see doctors should do me in by 65-70. I currently see little reason to go further.

Now there is a clever solution, sounds like it would work to me.

Just make sure they cash their retirement funds in Mexico too.

[bigrubberjeep]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Get rid of the arcane laws based on even more arcane religious beliefs that prohibit suicide. Most people know when they're being a burden and have lived out their life. When my grandma was in her last months/years she said flat-out that she knew she was just waiting for the reaper to come and she hoped it would be sooner rather than later lingering on in a lousy quality of life and being a burden to everyone else. She said she still valued being able to see the other members of the family each day she lingered, but other than that, was content with the life she'd lived.

Now, I think that's one of the most selfless ways of looking at one's situation. If I ever find myself there, unable to do much of anything for myself, I think I'll say my goodbyes and make my peace with whoever is around me (family and friends), and take the pill and fade in to a peaceful hereafter. What's wrong with it? Those that oppose giving people this OPTION (not mandatory) I find to have religious "wacko-dom" as the root source of their beliefs (only god gives life so only god should take it - you know, the Terri Schaivo wacko crowd).

Personally I think if we had "suicide booths" like in Futurama maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Too many people on the planet as it is. None of us ASKED to be brought into this world; least we can do is have some personal discretion over when we choose to leave it and when we've accomplished what we're going to in our own lives. Either it can be done humanely and peacefully and with a minimum of suffering to others or by sticking a gun barrel in one's mouth and blowing their own brains out.

More example of the RR f*cking up what really should be something reserved for common sense.

I agree with you, wouldnt it be great to be able to say goodbye to everyone when you wish and decide when you wan to go.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

thinking of Edward G. Robinson in Soylent Green..

[Isabo]

Originally posted by Capt. Carrera
You still miss my point. So let me drop being subtle.

When you refer to older people living much longer, and being a "burden", you are not talking about people who are currently in their seventies. Heck, you are not even talking about people who are in there forties. People of this age will not live long enough to reap that much return from modern medicine.

Who you unknowingly refer to is YOURSELF. Especially if you're less than thirty. THIS is the generation that will benefit from DNA-based-medicine. This is the generation that will easily see140 year life spans.

Oh sure, you think you'll only live to be sixty-five or seventy. But it's much, much, more likely that you'll surpass the century mark by a wide margin. Leaving other to wish you'd kick off...

I think I covered this above, so to quote myself:
"What criteria would you use for yourself? My own would be when I'm no longer self sufficient or started to get heavy medical problems. I would want to be out of it before I became a burden. I have had a mostly very good life and death no longer frightens me, pain, lingering illness and the thought of being a burden does."
Long life does not imply good health or good quality of life or absence from senile dementia.

[Taz's Master]

Suicide as a legal medical option? Do you guys all work for HMO's? Sure we could cure you with an expensive treatment/procedure, but think of the quality of life. Just say your goodbyes then take this pill, that's all your policy covers anyhow.

Honestly, suicide is an option regardless of its legality. But I don't want to see it endorsed by the government, or insurance industry because of its financial appeal.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

As a counterpoint, I think it'd be a way better option for people to actually be able to leave something to their next-of-kin rather than having greedy HMOs and pharmaceudical companies leeching it all out of you in your declining years. . . That's an upside, IMO.

I think it also creates an incentive to actually CURE disease rather than TREAT disease. Currently there is no such incentive and the money is made in treatments, not cures. By giving people another option or a way out versus lingering in treatments ad infinitum, there is an indirect incentive created for some diseases to actually be cured.

Like I said before, it can either be endorsed and done humanely or in an undignified manner with a shotgun barrel in the mouth and toes on the trigger.

The day I have to buy a box of Depends is the day I go down and load up on sleeping pills and a gallon of Jack Daniels. Eff that.

[tabs]

U mean Mother ISN'T going to be around to take care of her Tabby forever....theeen I'm going to have to take care of myself.....Ohhhh *****!!!! I'm in trouble now....

Maybe I can find some other woman to take care of me like Mother takes care of me.....Hey Coolll whatcha doin?

Modern Medicine can prolong the inevitable, but they can't stop the pain and suffering. So it comes down to quality of life. If quality of life is gone and the end is near...there should be no reason not to end the suffering. One hundred years ago, this wasn't even a question as medicine couldn't keep you alive a day longer.

We die when our spirit finally gives into the frality of our bodies and hope is extinguished for anykind of recovery.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by Taz's Master
Suicide as a legal medical option?

Honestly, suicide is an option regardless of its legality. But I don't want to see it endorsed by the government, or insurance industry because of its financial appeal.

It already is endorsed by Government...in Oregon.

[1967 R50/2]

Originally posted by Isabo
Pension ages are being raised....
Many have made little or no provision for their old age, manyu have been unable too.....
However, I don't see any solutions, never mind politically correct ones.

The solutions are easy....and you mentioned the converse of many of them:

Can't count on a pension? Can't count on Soc-Sec?...Well, you never really could count on those things anyway.

So, PUT MONEY AWAY. 401K, IRA, Keogh. If you CAN'T put money away you ARE living beyond your means. If you haven't put money away, I don't feel sorry for you. You've already eaten your cake.

Stay healthy. Exercise, don't smoke and watch what you eat. Watching your health cut's healthcare costs immensely. Not just for you, but for the rest of society too.

Still don't have enough to "retire"? THEN DON'T! The concept of retirement is relatively new. Before the 20th century everyone pretty much worked until they couldn't anymore. My grandfather started working when he was 12 and continued until he was 84. Manual labor, of course. As soon as he "retired" his health started to decline. File that under "You rest, You rust." I am pretty convinced that work kept him healthy...and happy too.

Basically all of this can be summarized as PLAN YOUR OWN RETIREMENT. and PLAN ON BEING HEALTHY.