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Get Some Cash for Your... Wait, What?!?
I was wondering how long it would take Drew Carey to wander across a libertarian issue that'd send the left howling to the bell towers. I'm not wondering any more.
Legalizing the sale of organs is one of those issues that makes complete sense on paper but runs the creep meter right up to the peg. In my own opinion, I think it would almost certainly end the shortage of many organs available for transplant. With a judicious bit of oversight, I think it could work, even well.
But I do understand why people would be apposed to it. So, for now at least, let's at least start a discussion. If the country decides it's a good idea, we'll get legislation moved through. Ain't democracy grand?
The problem comes when you're allowed to sell someone else's organs. If you're selling your own organs, well, that's all good--although you then have to explain why you can't sell the organs while they're still attached (i.e. prostitution.)
Posted by: DensityDuck on March 20, 2008 05:31 PMHow would you use a kidney that's still attached to someone else, anyhow?
Besides, the real problem is con artists who convince people to give up their kidneys for lower sums of money and pockets the difference, often without even letting their victims know that's what they're actually signing away. Or a seller who has a sudden change of heart (so to speak), and claims to have been victimized this way after the transplant has been completed. Or a seller who's infected with a pathogen that makes the organ worthless, but offers an unethical med tech part of the sale value of his organs in exchange for something that will make him pass any screening processes used.
No, I don't think the invisible hand is ready to perform transplants. Costing stupid people their worldly posessions, I got no problem with that. Costing stupid people their lives? I got a problem with that.
Posted by: Tatterdemalian on March 21, 2008 12:16 AM