March 20, 2006
Organs
- Hundreds of well-off Japanese and other nationals are turning to China's burgeoning human organ transplant industry, paying tens of thousands of pounds for livers and kidneys, which in some cases have been harvested from executed prisoners and sold to hospitals.
When Kenichiro Hokamura's kidneys failed, he faced a choice: wait for a transplant or go online to check out rumours of organs for sale. As a native of Japan, where just 40 human organs for transplant have been donated since 1997, the businessman, 62, says it was no contest. "There are 100 people waiting in this prefecture alone. I would have died before getting a donor." Still, he was astonished by just how easy it was.
Am I the only one wondering why organs aren't sold on the free market? It's a perfect example of a government meddled economy causing shortages.
If you could sell your organs after your death, provided that they were in good shape, to support your family, why wouldn't you? Obviously, you'd need to take care of situations of suicide, murder or execution or abuse thereof in some way, but this just seems like an idea whose time is way past due.
On the web Posted by AlexC at March 20, 2006 11:36 PM
Thomas Sowell has done some great work on this subject -- you are exactly right. The problem is Arnold Kling's "Folk Marxism." It just "doesn't feel right" to some people to inject commerce into that. So, never mind the advantages, our feelings shall not be contravened.
The same issue ruined the idea of a terrorist futures market, where speculators could predict attacks. This would be a valuable tool as these markets predict elections better than polls (James Surowecki, call your office!) But people thought it macabre, and complained. I have a hunch the same folks will be out in the street to stop Alex's new and near-new kidney shop.
Posted by: jk at March 21, 2006 9:16 AMIndia has been having issues with kidney harvesting as well. Women sell one of their kidneys for dowry and then end up being cast aside since they are no longer 'pure'. Peculiar.
Posted by: mdmhvonpa at March 21, 2006 11:50 AMAlexC, for some insight on this issue you should consider asking your priest what he thinks of the idea.
George W. Bush could never let it happen. If Kerry were prez it might happen, but there would be arcane and complicated rules and regulations to make sure that nobody could get to the front of the line because he could pay more, or dozens of other corrupt scenarios. (Sorry everyone, there's just too much baggage around this issue for me to be anything but a complete pessimist.)
Posted by: johngalt at March 23, 2006 3:25 PM | What do you think? [3]