Saturday, March 18, 2006

Dutch government furious

A few posts ago we discussed euthanasia of terminally ill children.

Now my government is furious after an Italian minister this week branded my country‘s euthanasia laws as akin to the policies of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Our Prime Minister Balkenende is expected to raise the matter with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi next week at a European summit.

"This is scandalous and unacceptable... it is not the way to get along in Europe," Balkenende said on Friday. Italian Parliamentary Relations Minister Carlo Giovanardi told a radio program on Thursday that Nazi thinking was re-emerging in Europe through Dutch euthanasia laws and a debate on the killing of children with deformities. '

Dutch media estimate about the lives of 15 to 20 disabled newborns are terminated each year.

Three years ago Berlusconi was himself in trouble for telling a German politician who was haranguing him during his debut at the European Parliament he should play a Nazi concentration camp guard in a film.

6 comments:

Tina said...

As the 3rd anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war fast approaches, one would think that Italian ministers would be too busy focusing on all of the deaths (Iraqi, Italian, US, Brit, etc) Italy has actively had a hand in by being a part of the "Coalition of the Willing" to meddle in personal, private medical matters that heart broken and emotionally tortured parents must make.

lindsaylobe said...

I agree with Tina.

If that's what the Italian Minister said its amounts to no more than ill conceived grandstanding in repect to a particually difficult issue.

Unknown said...

If I understand history correctly, Nazi Germany euthanized mentally and physically disabled who were otherwise healthy, as they were considered a burden and a useless drain on resources.

That type of euthanasia is very, very different from the medical mercy the Dutch propose.A healthy but handicapped child would not be a candidate, I am sure.

There is a vast difference between the two. Often people speak out in ignorance, as do many of the pro-lifers who have no understanding of specific cases. In the instances of child euthanesia, diagnosis and judgement is made on a case by case basis, no doubt.

Fie on the Italian loudmouth.

DA said...

So true dear blogfriends.

And if I were living in a country with such a facist history I would certainly keep my big mouth shut on those kind of issues.

LesleyinNM said...

I wouldn't worry about it, nobody listens to what the Italians have to say.:-)

DA said...

I guess so Lesley, but Fisichella did win the F1 Grand Prix today :-(