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Just keep in mind that usefullness is subjective. What about blind people or disabled veterens? Should we kill them too? You're about as close as you can get to modern barbarism if you go down the path of eliminating those deemed unnecessary by society.
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I think his ponit isn't about purely "unnecessary" individuals, but people who are able bodied and fully capable of donig something constructive to society but CHOOSE not to because collecting welfare they don't need/strictly deserve is the lazier, easier way.
Like, if somebody's out of a job, sure they deserve welfare. But ONLY if they actively attempt to get a job. If they sit around making no effort to find a job cause its easier to collect cheques, then no, they don't deserve it. The Depression-era work plans had 1 aspect of it right- if there's a task to be doing, offer the unemployed a payment to do it. If they really wnat a job they'd accept it. I oppose jobs for the sake of a job, but this isn't strictly the same- this is people getting a (probably nominal) payment for a required and probably 1-off task, while looking for a full time job.
Sekto also made a very good point on how we keep vegetated/comatose people alive, regardless of anything. They could be in utter agony and we'd keep them going. They certainly have no true quality of life anymore. Yet on the opposite hand we're willing to put down animals if they suffer, even if it's much more mild suffering in comparison. I experienced this dilemma yesterday, and it is indeed a bizarre hypocrisy and a reflection on how we appear to treat human life as sacred as if the mere presence of life, even a life of horrific pain and waiting for death, is better than giving them the end.