For those of you that don't know what euthanasia is, its basically assisted suicide. It is illegal in most countries because it's technically murder however the argument towards making it legal is that people should have the right to choose when they want to die. Euthanasia is here mainly for the those who have a terminal illness and don't have the strength to kill themselves or want to die peacefully and with the family knowing exactly when they're going to die.
It would probably spur people to seek out "the fountain of youth" drug. Then NO death.
Believe me, the race is being run as we speak. Even the popular science mags have hopped on the grand immortality bandwagon, which speaks volume of its mainstream appeal.
Somehow this seems to me to be tied in with discussions about the direction of medical treatment and population issues in developed countries.
As a fictional idea, I recently wondered what if there were some kind of somewhat normative standard to deciding when one should die (the many many logical and practical caveats aside), for example, community productivity- seeing as much stock is being placed in such measures as Disability Adjusted Life Years as an indication of quality of life already.
I don't think that there will ever be a single standard that determine the quality of life. Unless you, as a person, say that you are done living life, than you should not be killed. But you see, by the time it comes to that, some people can't think, move, speak, and breathe none the less sign a certificate of intent. Like I said in my earlier post, you would have to do it before you get older or have a life-threatening accident. I don't see why everyone has such a problem with this because as an adult all you do is prepare for dying. You get life insurance, get a will, and buy a grave plot. Sounds like you bought all the pieces except for the dying. I would much rather know how I am going to die and when so that I could live my life to the fullest. Not knowing and possibly laying in a bed for months only to be in pain or a coma would suck and I wouldn't even be able to beg my nurse to snuff me off.
