As both a science-fiction author and teacher of political
science, I have read a good deal of dystopian literature and
political horror-stories about the future as nightmare, not to
mention the holocausts which have existed not in imagination but
reality.
What they have in common is a vision of a society in which
individual human life has no value. Nor, of course, does individual
conscience or belief.
I have previously described Britain today as showing
features of “soft totalitarianism.” Recent news items suggest
something a good deal nastier may be on the way unless there is a
widespread moral regeneration.
One of the most shocking
developments has been a video shown to 14-year-old children
featuring assisted suicide campaigner Dr. Philip Nitschke, whose
extremist attitudes have been condemned even by other
pro-euthanasia groups.
Nitschke is shown on the video demonstrating a machine
that delivers lethal injections. The film is already being shown to
pupils as young as 14 in schools across the country. A program is
also being made by the BBC.
There is footage of Nitschke giving workshops on assisted
suicide methods. Also appearing in the program is one Michael
Irwin, a former doctor and euthanasia campaigner who was struck off
the medical register six years ago for attempting to assist a
suicide.
The video, being shown as the BBC — now dominated by the
hard left — is said to encourage assisted suicide. It actually
films a man killing himself at the suicide Dignitas clinic in
Switzerland. Writer Terry Pratchett, an outspoken advocate of
euthanasia, presents the documentary, which is due to be broadcast
on BBC2 this summer.
Producer and director Thomasina Gibson
said of the video: “If you are going to treat teenagers as
young adults you have to give them all sides of the argument and
let them debate it and make their own minds up.”
Of course, the fact the that the program is being shown at
all, with the connivance of the government education system, will
have the effect of suggesting assisted suicide is socially and
morally acceptable, even if, as the makers claim, opponents of
assisted suicide will also be given a forum. One need only consider
for a moment the effect of a debate between leading experts put out
by a public broadcaster as to whether or not murder is acceptable
— before an audience of children or adults — to see how simply
depraved the whole concept is.
The long-term political purpose of this seems quite
obvious: to prepare the population to accept the euthanasia of the
old and expensive.
Phyllis Bowman of the anti-euthanasia campaign group Right
to Life is quoted as pointing out other aspects of the
matter:
“When Dr Nitschke gives his workshops he doesn’t know
whether people have mental health problems or difficulties which
would prevent them making an informed choice.
“We believe it’s irresponsible to put information on how
to end your own life into the ether without knowing who it is going
to. Nitschke’s extreme views are being foisted on young people at
one of the most impressionable periods of their lives.”
She also intends to take the matter up with the government,
whose Tory leadership, when it comes to social issues, appear to be
basically sock-puppets for the far-left Liberal-Democrats. It will
be interesting to see what the response will be.
The director of another anti-suicide program, psychologist
Dr. Arthur Cassidy, is quoted as saying:
“I have very deep reservations about this video because it
has the potential for young people to think about ending their
lives.
“There is a wealth of evidence that media — films, DVDs
and videos — have encouraged a form of experimentation in suicide.
And a film like this may well encourage young people to think they
are a burden, that they don’t fit in or encourage them to feel
vulnerable in another way.
“If they are discussing euthanasia it could also lead to a
cluster of suicides.”
A spokesman for the Department for Education has been quoted as
saying: “The Government sets the curriculum but we leave it to
teachers to use their common sense and professional judgment on
what is best for their set of pupils.” It is hard to know exactly
what this means, but anyone who trusts the common sense and
judgment of at least some school-teachers regarding life-or-death
propaganda is at best taking a very big risk indeed.
Meanwhile, in another, not unconnected, front of the
British culture war, a 64-year-old electrician, Colin Atkinson,
faces the sack for displaying an 8-inch-long Christian palm cross
on the dashboard of his company van. This was in spite of — or
should that be because of? — the fact that his boss at the
publicly-funded Wakefield and District Housing Association displays
a large picture of Che Guevara in his office.
Former soldier Atkinson said: “The treatment of Christians
in this country is becoming diabolical, but I will stand up for my
faith.” The association, which claims that it “aims to influence
the embedding of diversity” has provided stalls at gay pride
events, held “diversity days” for “travellers” (gypsies), and
hosted a “gender reassignment event,” titled “A World That Includes
Transpeople.” It is fairly obvious who it does not
include. Without going into Mr. Atkinson’s personal circumstances
it would seem obvious that for a 64-year-old man to lose his job in
Britain today could be personally catastrophic.
This may be another chance for the Tory sock-puppets to
surprise everyone by showing some backbone.
