Murder or salvation of  suffering?

In the past two weeks the United States have been under the spell of the Schiavo-case.

Since 1990 Terry Schiavo, 41 years old, was in a vegetative condition. A deficiency  of oxygen damaged her brain. The primary functions remained unaffected but she couldn’t think, feel or speak anymore. All this time she was kept alive artificially.

Two weeks ago, her husband decided to remove the catheter, which was placed to drip-feed the comatose patient. In his opinion, there wasn’t any chance, Terry  Schiavo would ever recover. This was confirmed by medical specialists. All this years, Terry Schiavo was kept alive under duress and against her own will.

Terry’s family didn’t agree with their son-in-law and  started a juridical war of attrition to obtain the keeping right of their daughter. By this way, they tried to save the life of Terry Schiavo.

A painful, tragic family matter became a case of public interest. Every American was asked for his opinion on the Schiavo case.

The political world also interfered. The question about the life of terry Schiavo became an agenda item in the American Congress and the American president Bush interrupted his holiday on his ranch in Texas to sign an emergency law. By this new law, the Schiavo case had to appear in court again . All those political stratagems didn’t help. The judges decided that the catheter had not to be reconnected. So the patient may die.

Thirteen days after the removing of the catheter, Terry Schiavo died.

Murder, a cruel dead, in the opinion of the religious demonstrators, who have been supporting the family during their juridical fight, by demonstrating night and day.

The discussion about the right on euthanasia and abortion continues. Once more, America is divided…..

In my opinion, living as a plant has no use.  A man or a women, laying down for years, without being conscious of where you are and what you do and no chance to recover, isn’t a human being anymore. There isn’t any sign of life anymore! Is it than possible to call this murder? In my opinion, no. In the case of Terry Schiavo, there weren’t any signs, just uncontrolled movements. The family has to be realistic. There was no chance anymore, their daughter would ever recover. What’s than the use of keeping her alive artificially, against her willing. She has expressed the wish to die before she became vegetative. Is it just so hard to respect the willing of your own daughter?

My opinion on euthanasia : when people express the wish to die, it has to be executed without objection right of the family. It ‘s  their own choice.

In cases like the Schiavo case people must realise that keeping alive a person artificially, without any chance of recovering , is useless. The doctors should have more power in such cases. In consultation between colleagues they should be able to decide to end the suffering of a patient or the vegetative condition. 

Bush and the neo-conservatism [1]

President Bush has announced Condo Lisa Rise becomes the new secretary of state of the United States. She succeeds Collin Powel who resigned. By this nomination the influence of the neo- conservatism on the foreign policy of the US becomes bigger than ever.

Neo-conservatives have the opinion that the foreign policy of the US has to be strong , aimed at self-interest and unconditional support to the most faithful allies (Israel for example). The unconditional support for Israel is also a consequence of the high number of Jewish members, who naturally support Israel trough thick and thin. The policy is characterized by the use of solid and powerful language. The military power of the US  is one of the fundamentals. America may not hesitate to use his military force to protect the civilization and the values of the country.(Idea of the pre-emptive strike)

When Bush presented his cabinet after his victory in the elections of  2000, many posts became in the hands of people with neo-conservatism thoughts: Dick Cheney became vice president and the most important advisor of president Bush. Cheney is a real “hawk” ( a neo- conservative of the firm line). In his opinion, America is the essential defender of today’s global security order.

The most extreme “hawks” occupy the most strategic places in the cabinet. For example Rumsfeld (secretary of defence), Wolfowitz and now Condo Lisa Rise.

9/11 was the great breakthrough. Most Americans followed at that particular moment the idea of the neo-conservatism: It ‘s better to strike first than to wait for the first move of the enemy.

The victory in the elections of this year, is for Bush the confirmation of his policy. So he will continue the road taken.  

Now with the nomination of Condo Lisa  Rise as new secretary of state another personal advisor of president Bush receives an important function. Before Bush became president, he was governor of Texas. So he had no experience with foreign policy. Rise was at that moment head of the Stanford University and specialized in the international politics. In the first government she received the post of national security advisor and became one of the most important members of the cabinet. Now, in her new function,  her influence will still increase. She ‘s also a great devotee of the neo-conservatism. Specialists expect the foreign policy will become more severe surely towards the opposing counties of the American policy (Germany, France, Belgium). Her predecessor Collin Powell is known as a rather moderate conservative. Powel was a diplomat, a man who stood more open for discussion and negotiation. The new powerful women hasn’t shown the same qualities yet.

The relations between the US and Europe have become sour. Rise, who is no adherent of Europe, has now the complicated task to bring back the relations to the level of the pre Iraq period.