This is to eliminate the pesky doctor from the situation.
Doctors have ethics, morals, and feelings. Doctors, at least ostensibly, agree to "first do no harm". If you take that statement literally that means doctors are obligated to not help a patient commit suicide because killing someone is ostensibly more harm than having them in pain. I know this isn't popular on HN being very pro individual liberty, and I agree people should have control over their own lives, but the inclusion of doctors presents a problem to people who want to enable anyone to kill themselves easily.
The sarco is a techno-dystopian solution. Now that the cat is out of the bag, 3d printable, and theoretically reliable, it's only a matter of time before it's used for something other than killing yourself. Or, even worse, it's used to create some new tech startup that starts to approach soylent green. Just throw a nice screen in there with images of pretty scenery and you have the "exit" in the most literal sense.
It's humane in theory because the nitrogen provides a painless death. I say in theory because this only works in theory. There have been many failed suicides directed by exit international that demonstrate the method is not as effective as they tout but no one seems to mention the quackery by EI when they talk about them.
My concern is these people walk the line between "helping the actual sick have a peaceful death" and "homicidal psychopath" and with this device I believe they are leaning far, far closer to the latter. Creating mass scale suicide devices with the specific intent to end people's lives is immoral and unethical. As stated above, it will only be a matter of time before a company decides to provide suicide-as-a-service.
Doctors have ethics, morals, and feelings. Doctors, at least ostensibly, agree to "first do no harm". If you take that statement literally that means doctors are obligated to not help a patient commit suicide because killing someone is ostensibly more harm than having them in pain. I know this isn't popular on HN being very pro individual liberty, and I agree people should have control over their own lives, but the inclusion of doctors presents a problem to people who want to enable anyone to kill themselves easily.
The sarco is a techno-dystopian solution. Now that the cat is out of the bag, 3d printable, and theoretically reliable, it's only a matter of time before it's used for something other than killing yourself. Or, even worse, it's used to create some new tech startup that starts to approach soylent green. Just throw a nice screen in there with images of pretty scenery and you have the "exit" in the most literal sense.
It's humane in theory because the nitrogen provides a painless death. I say in theory because this only works in theory. There have been many failed suicides directed by exit international that demonstrate the method is not as effective as they tout but no one seems to mention the quackery by EI when they talk about them.
My concern is these people walk the line between "helping the actual sick have a peaceful death" and "homicidal psychopath" and with this device I believe they are leaning far, far closer to the latter. Creating mass scale suicide devices with the specific intent to end people's lives is immoral and unethical. As stated above, it will only be a matter of time before a company decides to provide suicide-as-a-service.