Assisted dying debate is a step toward 'barbarism' | Peter Hitchens 

We already have assisted dying and it’s called the NHS waiting lists.

The idea that euthanasia is not happening all the time anyway is naive. What do these people think all the huge doses of morphine people are given when they are screaming in pain from their terminal cancer is actually for?

When you have to watch a loved one die slowly over a long period and the pain they are in is off the scale. They administer the morphine overdose.

Can someone tell him he can make these decisions for himself but not for others.

Reality is, it's not about the length of life, it's the quality. There's fates worse than death and if a person is suffering from a terminal illness of any kind or a life changing disability that leaves them not even living a life, they should have the right to end it on their terms with their family around them. You can easily put into law to protect vulnerable people, the elderly and outright ban anyone who's depressed having this as an option. We don't let animals we love suffer, so don't sit there on your high and mighty virtue signalling horse saying a human suffering can't be given a dignified way out.

Re: 'barbarism' as its been presented in this interview; I would suggest that its the other way around. As an expat Brit-Canadian, I'm so grateful that here in 'civilized' Canada, we have: 'The Option.' Several of my friends have taken it, & I'll take it too, if necessary.

Seems like Mr. Hitchens is afraid for his own life.

Ironic that the 'course of nature' was mentioned. If nature were allowed to take it's course without medical intervention many of these people would not remain tortured for so long. So which is more 'barbaric', allowing nature to take it's course or artificially maintaining someone's suffering?

Both men are correct.

How is it we can have mercy towards our beloved pets when they are suffering, even though they are unable to give their consent, yet we can't respect the wish of a human being who wants to end their misery in a medically hopeless situation?

Why are animal keepers and farmers held to a higher standard when treating their animals than the human equivalent? If a farmer prolonged the suffering of any animal the RSPCA and anyone sensible would be up in arms and would seek a prosecution. Yet sick humans are doomed to suffer to the bitter and very often most painful end, even when given the best of palliative care. It is absolutely ridiculous the way we treat people whose life has become intolerable to themselves. People like Hitchens make my blood boil.

Hey Hitchens, you mouth on legs. You don't have to use this method If you don't wish to, It's not compulsory. But don't be so arrogant as to make other people's choice for them. That Is ''Barbarism''.

Not sure I've EVER agreed with Peter Hitchens on anything. Unlike his late brother, who I agreed with almost always. Peter Hitchens is like the pollar opposite of Christopher Hitchens. Anyway, I think assisted dying is the humane thing to do in certain circumstances. Seems obvious to me. 'A step towards barbarism' seems like the opposite of what assisted dying would mean.

Many ‘barbaric’ European countries such as the Netherlands allow assisted dying. Perhaps we should look at how our neighbours address this issue and not be so closed minded.

Well Peter, all I can say is spend some time in a nursing home or care home, where very elderly people are bedridden and slowly dying. There is no life for them, they have to be turned every 2 hrs, or face getting bedsores, which I might add becomes increasingly possible. That all depends on the level of staff, and also the type of staff. Many decades ago, I was a carer, and I have seen some terrible things, I can assure you. A lot of clients completely bedridden, wearing incontinence pads, oblivious to what's going on just simply wasting away. The truth is, most of them are on morphine so in effect it's a gentle slip into passing away. It's not nice to see those that are struggling, stuck in bed 24 hrs with absolutely no life, and no possibility of getting better. A lot of them don't even get any visitors, or family come to see them. Why would they? Nobody wants to see their loved one just lying there, suffering slowly. That's barbaric. I'm pretty damn sure that if that person in the bed could speak, they would beg to be let go. It's just cruel and heartbreaking to see, it makes no sense. We have our beloved pets euthenised when all hope is lost, and I think every human being has the right whilst compus mentus to be able to choose their own path to leave this planet. Life is a wonderful thing, but it also has its hardships, pain and suffering. It's only right that once you've stopped living and you are just a shell of your former self, and slowly fading out, that you should be able to go with dignity and pain free.

Palliative care in the UK consists pretty much of leaving you entirely to your own devices in the UK as far as I can see. I've lost count of the number of times that I've been pressured for getting a DNR, including the threat of leaving a hole in my jaw from a broken tooth and an absess without treatment until I get a DNR!!!!!!

It's so unfortunate that the wrong Hitchens Is still alive.

Google "Alex O'Connor interview Peter Hitchens" - absolute crybully

Discussion of this topic is absolutely necessary, and I myself am uncertain about my own position. However, wheeling out people like the reactionary Peter Hitchens to give us the benefit of his half-baked and uninformed opinions is not, in my view, the way to do it.

A big reason why Peter never achieved the broad appeal of his brother is that Christopher was able to countenance opposing views on issues without sliding into absolute absurd hyperbole, which indeed we have an absolute superfluity of in modern culture. It's a strange line to walk of being an erudite intellectual type and also a hysterical pearly clutcher

Talk to older people about how they think of life just going on and on, whether terminally ill or not. As an older person I am quite sure that we should have a choice under any circumstances. The sooner the better.

We already have assisted dying. It’s called Do Not Resuscitate

"I do understand", how can you if you are not in this position?

6:22 "would changing the law make us more humane, or would it make us more like Canada?". The inhumane, barbaric hellhole... of Canada.

If Hitchens himself suddenly found that he was in the awful position of having a terminal condition which may render him unable to walk, feed and toilet himself and possibly to even speak, to be able to enjoy life and be in the position he is in now to put forward his forthright opinions in the media, his views nay be different than they are now. People should be free to make their own choices on such personal matters.

Isn't the whole point, that people don't want a long death? For those of us that don't want a long death, why can't we choose now whilst we're healthy and of sound state of mind? It's terrible watching someone suffer for years just begging for it to be over.

Hitchens is right about mission creep. It starts off as exceptional, and ends up being normalised and used in ways it wasn't intended for. When you add in money and legal Wills it becomes even more muddied.

I want the damn choice. My life, my body, end of story! I've seen enough death of animal companions and family members to know what I want. Even my grandmother who was one who did eventually die in her sleep at 91, had enough by the time she was 80 and started with dementia. She was constantly confused wouldn't leave her house and spent 11 years in a prison in her own head. She said she had, had enough! Not everyone wants to live with mental and physical and terminal illness until the bitter end

It’s simple, don’t change the law, but leave medics to be freer to exercise judgment. As soon as everything has to be written down in a new law, we lose the flexibility required to hold the line in a proper way and to allow human judgment to intervene in exceptional circumstances. Value life because it comes from God.

"i completely understand people who are suffering from a terminal illness who are suffering". Unless you're actually going through it or witnessing it's process first hand, you can't even imagine what it is like.

Imagine losing Christopher and being left with this unenlightened fool.

Peter, like his brother Christopher, is a contrarian so it’s no surprise that he’s opposed to assisted dying, but maybe Peter hasn’t had to watch a loved one die in abject misery, with absolutely no quality of life whatsoever. We wouldn’t allow an animal to suffer like that, so surely we should grant people autonomy too?

Assisted dying problems arent that it wont work, it's that it will work too well. It starts with long terminal illness, why not depression, why not anorexia, why not a general unwillingnessto live. What about chronic back pain. Im wheelchair bound and i dont want to live anymore etc...Who are you to decide if i dont want to live any more...you cant feel my pain. This wont end well not to mention the burden grandparents often feel when their sons and daughters travel to see them

It's a shame this is the Hitchens brother we are stuck with.

Matt Hancock minister for Assisted Dying.

Instead of bringing this hack every week just show his brother old videos. I guarantee you you will have millions more views.

My God, I'm actually agreeing with Peter Hitchens!

It should be choice..which can be decided in earlier life…(Don’t confuse abortion with assisted dying..Peter). Even your religious connections can’t help those who need help desperately when alive! So live your life let others live theirs..You don’t even know individuals who want Assisted dying so how can you deny their need for CHOICE? As well many people who can’t afford going abroad will be denied it! Money again makes everything possible…by those who have it !

Peter Hitchens needs to accept that he'll always be in the shadow of his brother and his opinions on subjects like this and addiction are unfortunate.

Abortion and euthanasia are two sides of the same coin.

A way in which assisted dying becomes barbaric and inexcusable, is when AI, on line abuse or forms of intentional and targeted “terror” emerge which cause people, of any age, and of good health, to even consider the need to ‘take their lives’. This relates especially to our youth who ought to be protected from this. Moreover, the ethical debate around the right to life -and live-, and the position of the Church are to be considered for the best and most ethical solutions to emerge. If we primarily consider the many forms of suffering, humanity will find reasonable solutions.

As the Tipu Sultan said better to live 1 day as a lion than 100 years a sheep. Life is about quality and when that is gone people like me demand the right to die. In my own country and in a medical facility without leaving some poor sod to deal with what remains if I do it at home.

If you'd like an easy shortcut to a moral compass, just take any of Peter Hitchen's views and reverse them. Voila - you have a conscience.

Been expecting this so called debate for a while usually it doesn't go anywhere, although palliative care is grossly inadequate in my experience!

Is it even a Peter Hitchens Video comments sections without, "did you see his interview with Alex Connor?" (The irony of course being that Mr O'Connor was ill-prepared and totally out of his depth), attacks on him personally and never his actual argument is. What else? "He's old, he's a hack, he looks like an imperialist"... Oh and lets not forget everybody's favourite - the dead brother jibes. As someone said "Christopher is for teenagers and college students as someone who can eloquently and rather humorously justify their hedonism. Peter is there for you, only when you're ready to grow-up."

yet another topic for Hitchens to make a complete fool of himself about. Who is paying this man for his trenchant nonsense?

Why does Peter's God seems indifferent to suffering and pain on his earthly creations.

I don't see an issue it's about time the government let us decide what's right for use and our families

Wherever assisted dying exists it has put immense power in the hands of some dark people and there have been attempts to expand it.

Didn't know Vic Mackey had diverged into journalism.

This man is lying about my country the Netherlands.

Peter Hitchens believes in fairytales aka god That's barbarism It should be up to the person to decide

_‘Would we be more humane or would we be more like Canada?’_ is a massive condemnation of Canada, albeit a thoroughly deserved one.

It's really simple. See how it's going in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Canada. Note the issues they're facing. Don't repeat their mistakes.

Why can't these pepple just off themselves without others involved? Cobain managed it and many others i can't recall atm

I fear extremely dodgy doctors will use this to their advantage

I'm sure you moan about welfare spending and disability payments. If there are people who hate being a burden on family/state, and have no desire to live on with zero joy in life, but don't want to put their families through suey side, wouldn't it be a win/win for state/individual to come to an amicable solution to end the cost/pain?

Bore off Hitchens… your wrong much more than your right these days. Losing it mate

Carthago delenda est.

As if we lost Chrhstopher Hitchens and got stuck with tool of a Hitchens.

Peter, the only reason you're here, is because you're Dad didn't know what Condoms were

The ignorance of people like Caroline Lucas holding sway and the comments below show that we are heading towards the end of our Civilization.

The tragedy of Peter Hitchens life is that he's been right about more or less everything - and been ignored every time.

Peter Hitchens, and whoever argues against assisted dying, are clearly idiots. If someone is of sound mind, but with a terminal condition that causes them physical and/or emotional distress should have the freedom to choose when and how to die. It's absolutely despicable to deny them this. It's about freedom of choice!

This guy really has no idea what he’s talking about.