Organs (continued)

Brenna asks "Who is being coerced under the current system, and why?"

It's not an issue of who is being coerced under the current system. The issue is it wouldn't change under the new system. It's simple economics. As the demand for an item lessens or the supply of it increases, the black market and the crime that surrounds the acquisition (including killing people for them or stealing them) of that item lessens.

With supply greatly increased and demand unaffected, the risk of coercion or people being forced is logically lessened. And even is someone is coerced or forced to sell a kidney, we have laws for that. We convict the people who break the laws.

But let's assume (only for academic purposes) there is an increase of coercion and people forced to donate. That is more than balanced out by the elimination of the black market for organs.
The issue of "unequal distribution of the burden" is simple class warfare talk. The buyer gets a kidney and the seller gets income he normally wouldn't have had. It's a consensual transaction between two adults.

PROS:
-People live with a new kidney.
-Those selling the kidney (might be mostly poor but who cares? It's their choice) are compensated and now, if they are poor, have money they wouldn't have otherwise had.
-The black market for kidneys is basically eliminated.

CONS:
-None that didn't exist in the first place

Organ donation

Brenna kindly responds to my question:

"Because organ donation is a painful and dangerous process, which the rich and middle-class are unlikely to undertake for the money. Only the poor and desperate would be likely to pursue this source of income--which leads to problems of coersion--and they're unlikely to be the ones getting the organs.

When you're doing research with human subjects, there are limits on compensation for just this reason. How much more so, when the risk of harm is greater (or certain--I mean, they come out minus a major organ). This isn't even going into the possibility of someone else forcing a person to donate organs for the money."

I originally had a longer response that I've since removed because I think the response is simple. Brenna brings up issues of possibilities of coercion and forcing someone to donate. How is that any different now from before? If anything, it's more possible *now* since the demand remains high but supply is terribly low.

We already have laws for coercion and forcing someone to donate an organ. Making it legal to sell an organ affects the chances of coercion and forcing someone to donate none and if anything, *reduces* that chance.

Organs

Why is it illegal for me to sell a kidney to someone who needs it or he/she will die?

More gooderer

I tend to get wound up a tad about simple issues of government and personal responsibility. I know this government was original founded on civil liberties and personal responsibility but that changed long ago. I have no doubt that the framers of the Constitution would not be able to stop talking about how messed up our current system of government is if they were around.

So obviously the things I post on are more academic and theoretical. The majority of this country doesn’t truly want to be free or want personal responsibility to take care of the things in their lives they should be responsible for (food, shelter, health insurance etc). Does that make me mad? Sure, because I’m expected to pay for those who choose not to or choose to make poor choices.

Now don’t get me wrong. I spend plenty of time and money supporting charities and don’t feel obligated to list it out here. But I do. However, that is by choice. It is not by the force of a gun.

Forcing me to give money to the government so it can be redistributed to others is not charity on my part or on those who force me to do it. There is *nothing* noble about forcing someone else to spend their money on helping others. It is essentially stealing from them and that is why I can’t stand people who think they’re awesome and charitable by starting, continuing or expanding government programs to “help the needy.”

With that said, I’ve really come to enjoy reading this blog because

1. He’s smarter than I am.

2. He communicates better than I do.

See #s 1 and 2.

Recently I posted about the rest of the country being forced to subsidize people who choose to live in areas prone to natural disasters. People are free to choose where they live. They should accept the responsibilities that come with living there. If they choose not to insure themselves, then accept the risk or if they are unable to insure, then move. It’s pretty simple.

But he looks into it a bit deeper and more gooderer.

And the Dems wonder why people think they don't support the troops...

Harry Reid is awfully supportive...

The Dem Party has positioned itself so that failure in Iraq benefits their party and success is bad for them.

I'm not fan of the Republican party anymore but this group is just despicable.

Don't act like you support the troops. Don't call us kids or children. We volunteered. We made the choice. Don't patronize. When you stop doing that...maybe we'll think you truly support us.

Don Imus

Never liked the guy much to begin with but...is this a big deal about something small? It was a stupid thing to say. Apologize and move on.

His mistake was bowing at the altar of Al Sharpton(one of the most vile men in national politics in my generation) and Jesse Jackson.

I'm not a fan of Michelle Malkin because she's specializes in outrage over everything(not too different in that sense from Sharpton and Jackson) but this raises excellent points.

And Jason Whitlock also makes good points.

Think I'll take the same stance on this as I do "man made global warming." When the people who spout off most about it and claim to be most worried...when they start taking it seriously, I might, too.

Funny movie moments

On to a lighter topic...

Was thinking the other day about some of the funniest moments I've ever seen in a movie. Moments that if someone saw only that scene it would still be hilarious. A scene so funny that even if you watched it by yourself, you would have, or did, laugh out loud. A scene where you laughed so hard and so long, your abs ached.

Some personal favorites in no particular order:

-Ace Ventura (the first one): This movie is full of them but the scene at the beginning where Jim Carrey is playing the faux UPS guy and beating the crap out of the box he's delivering.

-Tommy Boy: This is also a movie chock full of hilarious scenes. The scene I think I laughed the hardest at was when the deer woke up in the back seat of the car, scaring Chris Farley and David Spade out of the car while it destroys it.

-Black Sheep(Not this scene but another good one from the movie): Not as good as Tommy Boy but that's a hard act to follow. The scene where Chris Farley falls down the hill and tumbles at a 45 degree angle about a mile had me in stitches.

-Anchorman: When Paul Rudd puts on the Sex Panther cologne and makes a run at Christina Applegate. It peaks when the random woman walks by and just as she's walking off the screen describes what it smells like.

-Dumb and Dumber: When Jeff Dnaiels winds up and drills Lauren Holly in the face with a snowball.

-High Fidelity: John Cusack is in his record store when Tim Robbins, Cusack's ex's current boyfriend, comes in and John Cusack goes through the different scenarios in his head of what he wants to do to Robbins...except he's gutless.

-Love Stinks: Not a popular movie but certainly has it's moments. The end after French Stewart stands Bridget Wilson up at the altar in Vegas. She's shot him in the butt. He's being carted into the ambulance while she's being arrested. He shouts "You've put me off women...I'm gay. And not just a little gay. Full on, Liberace gay. I like show tunes!...Back to hell, demon! Back to hell!

-South Park (Opening 10 minutes of the movie. Warning: profanity): I love this show way too much and my first exposure to it was the movie. I couldn't stop laughing at these little 3rd grade kids learning the wonders of swearing. And their mouths were fouler than mine in my teenage years. I suppose the best part is the end when Cartman realizes the V-chip in his brain(implanted to give him shocks whenever he swears) has malfunctioned and now when he swears he can shoot lightning. He mixes up great swear word combinations and mixes "Barbra Streisand" into the middle of one long curse phrase.

-Other favorites?

*UPDATE: Tara points out that it's a crime that nothing from UHF is on here. She's right...

-UHF The scene where Raul from Raul's Wild Kingdom is teaching poodles how to fly. Notice how many times Raul excitedly claps his hands one time? Click here for more UHF clips. Make sure you watch Wheel of Fish halfway down the page.