Doctors' consciences were no obstacle. "He gave us the impression that he was doing people good," a colleague said, describing the process. "In the end, the practice became institutionalized." Some killed were neither old, nor in a coma, nor even near death, one of the nurses told a French radio show. In the Netherlands, it is now official policy.
How will Europe react to legalized murder in its midst? Probably ignore it, maybe rationalize it. What about us? It seems to me such a radical departure from civilized norms requires an official reaction, lest we dishonor our own war dead. Officially sanctioned murder cannot be treated as just an internal matter for the Dutch. In the long run, it calls into question our special alliance with Europe, which is ultimately based on shared values as much as it is on national self-interest.
At a minimum, Congress should offer refugee status to any Dutch citizens who fear that now or in the future they may be killed by the Dutch medical establishment (an arm of the government in states with nationalized health-care systems). Give us your tired, your poor, the sick who are now the hunted, yearning to breathe free.