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offsite link North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

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Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link News Round-Up Tue Oct 07, 2025 01:15 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Does Trump Not Realise How Globally Toxic Tony Blair Is? Mon Oct 06, 2025 19:30 | Ramesh Thakur
Trump's peace plan for Gaza might yet succeed, but why on earth does Tony Blair feature, asks Professor Ramesh Thakur. Does Trump not realise how globally toxic the Blair brand is?
The post Does Trump Not Realise How Globally Toxic Tony Blair Is? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Stupidologiology Mon Oct 06, 2025 18:15 | James Alexander
William Davies has written an article titled 'Stupidology' which Prof James Alexander summarises as: 'Trump is stupid. Brexit was stupid. I am not stupid. Neither are my friends. Why do stupid people have power?'
The post Stupidologiology appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Backlash as Nando?s Limits Customers to One Coke per Visit Under New ?Nanny State? Rules Mon Oct 06, 2025 15:11 | Will Jones
Nando's has sparked a backlash after restricting customers to a single glass of Coca-Cola Classic under new 'nanny state' Government rules aimed at cutting sugar consumption.
The post Backlash as Nando’s Limits Customers to One Coke per Visit Under New ‘Nanny State’ Rules appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link ?Nudge? Has a New Evil Twin: ?Stochastic Terror? Mon Oct 06, 2025 13:30 | Nick Rendell
'Nudge' has a new evil twin, says Nick Rendell: 'stochastic terror'. When all else fails, the Left foments the conditions for random political violence and then sits back and waits for someone to pick off Trump or Farage.
The post ‘Nudge’ Has a New Evil Twin: ‘Stochastic Terror’ appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

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Assisted Decision Making

category national | health / disability issues | opinion/analysis author Monday December 02, 2013 22:07author by Sean Crudden - impero Report this post to the editors

Guidance for Mental Patients

The United Nations' convention on the rights of persons with a disability does not confer any particular right on anyone. As a mental patient I have no more rights with it as I might have without it. However the UNCRPD has a political effect. The Irish Government must repeal the Lunatics Act of the 19th century to make Irish Law consonant with the UNCRPD. That old act is long and detailed and makes elaborate provision to prevent the exploitation of lunatics i.e. mental patients. But, it seems, a new law is required introducing assisted decision making by patients rather than providing an authority to make decisions on our behalf.

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all
And the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er
With the pale cast of thought.”

When it comes to decisions I suppose the best thing is to think about it but not to think too much. Many crucial decisions are made in a split second, in the blink of an eye. The thinking done beforehand, perhaps, or the principal brave enough to depend on instinct.

I attended a colloquium in Queen’s University during the last snow. Innocently I explained my question. “I do not like making decisions. Is there any way I could get someone else to relieve me of the burden and make decisions for me?” I should mention that the title of the colloquium was, “Emotion and Law.” Quick as a flash a retired professor jumped in with an answer to my question. “Yes, there is a way. It’s called marriage.”

None of us nor any child is born with a steering wheel attached for some kind of driver to steer us in some direction to suit himself and without regard for our wishes. Most people do not like being told what to do.

However there is obviously a dearth of talent where decision making is involved and uncertainty. We have only to remember the Oracle at Delphi or the modern fascination with horoscopes and fortune tellers.

It seems to me that the mentally ill and the intellectually disabled communities will have to be prepared to cope with a litany of wrong decisions if this projected law involving “assisted” decision making ever finds its way onto the statute books.

The angst and heavy responsibility seen by existentialists to be involved in decision making is often belied in real life. Decisions get made and often we do not know how the decisions came to be. Most people do not dwell on the quality of decisions made but get on with life and work their way around them.

When I was going to school there was a very strong emphasis on obedience. Respect for authority. Personal responsibility was not seen as a mitigating factor. This despite the then fairly recent judgements in the Nuremberg trials.

The common market introduced a yearning for consensus and collaboration. Personally I think this was a pious hope and it is more honoured in the breach than in the observance.

The nearest practical example of assisted decision making as public policy came with the appointment in the 1970’s of school guidance officers. The general idea at a political level was to steer pupils in the right direction. Nowadays I think the principal work of school guidance officers is to help pupils fill out the CAO form. If there has been a more fertile result I have yet to hear about it.

“There is a divinity that shapes our ends,
Rough-hew them how we will.”

Related Link: http://imperodotorg.wordpress.com
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