No country for old men - or women

[boris1gary]

I'm not sure that "most Australians" feel this way, but...........

http://www.independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/no-country-for-old-men--or-women,6138

The WHO estimates that by mid-century, two billion people will be over 60 years old — but rather than welcoming an abundance of wisdom, most Australians simply see a tsunami of cost, writes Lyn Bender.

THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT has proven itself to be pretty much a dunce when it comes to understanding the complexity of humanity.

The current government takes a ham-fisted mechanistic approach when a nuanced organic sensitivity is required. It manages people and complex social issues — like bikes instead of, say, frogs. You may remove a wheel from a bike and replace it with another.

When you cut off a frog’s leg the whole organism ‒ like an ecosystem ‒ is damaged.

If the oldsters were like refugees and arriving in boats, there might have been a campaign to stop them. But instead, they lurk within our midst and future in the millions, lining up with their Zimmer frames and mobility aids to invade our overstretched services.

Indeed, since being elected treasurer, Joe Hockey has used the projected hoards of the elderly, and other welfare recipients, to invoke fear of budget catastrophes and health insurance explosions. A horrible fate is depicted and implied for us all as we age. We become the unattractive drain and burden on able-bodied taxpayers.

The pièce de résistance 'solution' is the suggestion that those receiving unemployment benefits could work for the dole in aged care facilities, thereby solving the problem with a 'genius stroke'.

This is no country for the unemployed, impoverished, or the vulnerable, nor for the physically and mentally disabled and those who have extra needs.

[polocross58]

Please refrain from offering unsolicited advice

As to voluntary euthanasia, it's a matter of fact that resources are being expended on elderly who want to die -- who would die if the system would allow it -- and who want to die (with many of them saying so)

Vast amounts of money, time, energy and hospital beds are being wasted on people who are at least half-dead and who couldn't function independently.  In short, they are the living dead

Our perverse society insists on forcing such people to remain technically alive despite the huge waste of resources and despite the wish of those individuals AND their families, that they be allowed or even assisted to shuffle off the coil

Young Mr. Pyne is opposed to voluntary euthanasia and has stated so in his choir-boy voice on several occasions, one of those being a televised round-table when confronted by a greying audience who were attempting to impress upon him their wish to be left alone to die.  One such woman ripped aside her blouse for the camera to show the message tattooed on her upper chest.  It read:  ' Do Not Resucitate'.   She wanted doctors and ambulance workers to get the message before they began thumping life back into her next time

Others in the audience had been driving to the rural property of one of their member in order to create a 'death potion'.  They were arrested/charged not long afterward

They explained that in the past, older folk would chip-in so that one of them could travel to Mexico to buy a death dose which in that country is easily bought over the counter of veterinarians.  Our caring government put a stop to that too, which resulted in the olders getting out their chemistry sets out in the bush to create their own death potion for when needed -- when they believed it was time to end it

It's disturbing to watch governments in action.  On one hand they recruit healthy young men and women and send them overseas to kill and die.  And the church says not a word and in fact blesses them as they leave and pontificates over them at gravesides when they're returned from overseas in body bags.  On the other hand, government and the church are determined to prevent the terminally ill, the elderly, those who're non compos and those who simply want to exit this thing called Life, from doing so -- even if they have to arrest 80 year olds for the grievous crime of trying to die and jailing those who help others to die

So there we have it:  billions spent sending the cream of our youth to kill and die and more billions keeping the half-dead alive --- at the same time as physically active middle-aged and unemployed are treated like dog poo and reduced to charity status and told we can't afford for them to live

[the_great_she_elephant]

A great article, Boris. As I have often said before, "Age is the price we pay for the gaining of wisdom." When I read some of the comments posted on CS I have to smile and think to myself, gee, how very young you must be.

[polocross58]

I very much doubt any of the regulars in this forum are less than 55 years of age

So the old saw about age bringing wisdom is disproved here, minute by minute

[boris1gary]

---

@polocross58 wrote:

Please refrain from offering unsolicited advice

As to voluntary euthanasia, it's a matter of fact that resources are being expended on elderly who want to die -- who would die if the system would allow it -- and who want to die (with many of them saying so)

Vast amounts of money, time, energy and hospital beds are being wasted on people who are at least half-dead and who couldn't function independently.  In short, they are the living dead

Our perverse society insists on forcing such people to remain technically alive despite the huge waste of resources and despite the wish of those individuals AND their families, that they be allowed or even assisted to shuffle off the coil

Young Mr. Pyne is opposed to voluntary euthanasia and has stated so in his choir-boy voice on several occasions, one of those being a televised round-table when confronted by a greying audience who were attempting to impress upon him their wish to be left alone to die.  One such woman ripped aside her blouse for the camera to show the message tattooed on her upper chest.  It read:  ' Do Not Resucitate'.   She wanted doctors and ambulance workers to get the message before they began thumping life back into her next time

Others in the audience had been driving to the rural property of one of their member in order to create a 'death potion'.  They were arrested/charged not long afterward

They explained that in the past, older folk would chip-in so that one of them could travel to Mexico to buy a death dose which in that country is easily bought over the counter of veterinarians.  Our caring government put a stop to that too, which resulted in the olders getting out their chemistry sets out in the bush to create their own death potion for when needed -- when they believed it was time to end it

It's disturbing to watch governments in action.  On one hand they recruit healthy young men and women and send them overseas to kill and die.  And the church says not a word and in fact blesses them as they leave and pontificates over them at gravesides when they're returned from overseas in body bags.  On the other hand, government and the church are determined to prevent the terminally ill, the elderly, those who're non compos and those who simply want to exit this thing called Life, from doing so -- even if they have to arrest 80 year olds for the grievous crime of trying to die and jailing those who help others to die

So there we have it:  billions spent sending the cream of our youth to kill and die and more billions keeping the half-dead alive --- at the same time as physically active middle-aged and unemployed are treated like dog poo and reduced to charity status and told we can't afford for them to live

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please refrain from going off topic. thank you.

[boris1gary]

---

@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

A great article, Boris. As I have often said before, "Age is the price we pay for the gaining of wisdom." When I read some of the comments posted on CS I have to smile and think to myself, gee, how very young you must be.

---

"young" is one word, i can think of many others but they are not allowed.

[polocross58]

Please allow me to point you to the Elephant's most recent post

But then, childishness is common to the unintelligent of all ages, isn't it

[li.vish]

Hello, everyone. This discussion is getting a little heated. Could we please communicate with a more civil tone. Thanks!

[polocross58]

THE   TOPIC 

THE  OP

'

I'm not sure that "most Australians" feel this way, but...........

http://www.independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/no-country-for-old-men--or-women,6138

The WHO estimates that by mid-century, two billion people will be over 60 years old — but rather than welcoming an abundance of wisdom, most Australians simply see a tsunami of cost, writes Lyn Bender.

THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT has proven itself to be pretty much a dunce when it comes to understanding the complexity of humanity.

The current government takes a ham-fisted mechanistic approach when a nuanced organic sensitivity is required. It manages people and complex social issues — like bikes instead of, say, frogs. You may remove a wheel from a bike and replace it with another.

When you cut off a frog’s leg the whole organism ‒ like an ecosystem ‒ is damaged.

If the oldsters were like refugees and arriving in boats, there might have been a campaign to stop them. But instead, they lurk within our midst and future in the millions, lining up with their Zimmer frames and mobility aids to invade our overstretched services.

Indeed, since being elected treasurer, Joe Hockey has used the projected hoards of the elderly, and other welfare recipients, to invoke fear of budget catastrophes and health insurance explosions. A horrible fate is depicted and implied for us all as we age. We become the unattractive drain and burden on able-bodied taxpayers.

The pièce de résistance 'solution' is the suggestion that those receiving unemployment benefits could work for the dole in aged care facilities, thereby solving the problem with a 'genius stroke'.

This is no country for the unemployed, impoverished, or the vulnerable, nor for the physically and mentally disabled and those who have extra needs.

--------------

FROM   'the TOPIC"

' The WHO estimates that by mid-century, two billion people will be over 60 years old — but rather than welcoming an abundance of wisdom, most Australians simply see a tsunami of cost, writes Lyn Bender

FROM  POLOCROSS'  Post:

' So there we have it:  billions spent sending the cream of our youth to kill and die and more billions keeping the half-dead alive --- at the same time as physically active middle-aged and unemployed are treated like dog poo and reduced to charity status and told we can't afford for them to live'

Entirely 'on topic' and relevant as pertains to the cut and paste posted by the OP

As was the rest of my post

In any event, this is an opinion board provided by eBay

with no discussion under the control or authority of any poster, OP or otherwise

Stalking, harassment, bullying etc. are not tolerated by eBay, incidentally

[boris1gary]

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@the_great_she_elephant wrote:

A great article, Boris. As I have often said before, "Age is the price we pay for the gaining of wisdom." When I read some of the comments posted on CS I have to smile and think to myself, gee, how very young you must be.

---

well i was hoping that it would be a positive discussion on ageing, ha - optimism. I really have no idea of the ages of 99% of posters on here and wouldn't even hazard a guess.  I certainly didn't see it turning into a long winded view on euthanasia - voluntary or otherwise.

[the_great_she_elephant]

@lakeland27 wrote:

ooh, thats a slippery slope ..

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You're right LL I am a firm believer in volutary euthanasia, but once you start linking it to economics: e.g.

;  billions spent sending the cream of our youth to kill and die and more billions keeping the half-dead alive

Then you are putting your foot on a very slippery slope indeed.