By Wesley J. Smith

Editor’s note. This appeared yesterday on Wesley’s fine blog at http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2010/12/02/dutch-pat-themselves-on-the-back-for-infanticide-we-have-a-protocol/

This is the Dutch in a nutshell: If it is “transparent,” then it is okay. That opens the door to a lot of wickedness. Take infanticide. Dutch doctors kill babies born with terminal and disabling conditions. But rather than being ashamed, some are apparently proud because it is done according to procedure. From a Radio Netherlands Worldwide report [http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/ten-years-who-will-follow-dutch-example-euthanasia]

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Instead of emulation, Dutch euthanasia policies have over the past ten years mainly met with criticism: ‘After euthanasia and infanticide, the next step in the Netherlands will most likely be a suicide pill for people who are tired of life, even though it will probably take a few years before it’s legal.” (Correspondent Greg Burke, Fox News)

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Uh, the “tired of life” proposal was first made by the then Minister of Health the day after euthanasia was formally legalized, and is now to be debated in the Parliament after a petition signed by more than 100,000 Dutch citizens demanded it:

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“The Nazi laws and Hitler’s ideas have made a comeback in Dutch euthanasia laws and the debate about how sick children are killed.” (Italian minister Carlo Giovanardi) The criticisms regarding the killing of children refer to a medical protocol drawn up by neonatologists for the termination of life for newborn babies who are suffering unbearable pain without a prospect of improvement. Professor Van Leeuwen says: “You could ask yourself if it was even necessary”.

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I see: Killing babies is okay because, “We have a protocol.” How very postmodern Dutch....