Michael Cook

Michael Cook likes bad puns, bushwalking and black coffee. He did a BA at Harvard University in the US where it was good for networking, but moved to Sydney where it wasn’t. He also did a PhD on an obscure corner of Australian literature. He has worked as a book editor and magazine editor and has published articles in magazines and newspapers in the US, the UK and Australia. Currently he is the editor of BioEdge, a newsletter about bioethics, and MercatorNet.

Michael Cook | 11 May 2012

The legalisation of euthanasia is a real possibility in the Australian state of Tasmania. But today’s media launch of a stunning new website could tip the balance in favour of opponents. Hopefully it will get widespread publicity.

Michael Cook | 27 Apr 2012

People with intellectual disabilities, all children and people with dementia should be able to request euthanasia, the Belgian Liberal Humanist Association (HVV) has declared.

Michael Cook | 20 Apr 2012

Mickey Rooney, the Hollywood icon who testified before the US Congress about his experience with elder abuse, stars in an 82-minute documentary, “Last Will and Embezzlement”.

Michael Cook | 4 Apr 2012

Here's an excellent little debate between a doctor who supports legalised euthanasia in Australia and one who opposes it. Well worth a look. Hat tip to Paul Russell, of HOPE.

Michael Cook | 3 Apr 2012

A criminologist at the University of Tasmania doubts that many people in the community will be able to give full and voluntary consent to ending their lives through euthanasia. The growing prevalence of elder abuse suggests that aged people could easily be manipulated.

Michael Cook | 2 Apr 2012

The Italian Parliament has declared January 27 a "day of remembrance" for victims of Nazi ideology. In the first place, this means the Shoah, the extermination of 6 million Jews. But thousands of disabled people were also killed between 1940 and 1941 until protests by locals and the Bishop of Münster, Clemens von Galen. This video is a timely reminder of how indifferent we can become to the lives of the disabled.

Michael Cook | 29 Mar 2012

A parliamentary committee in Quebec has recommended the legalisation of euthanasia with strict safeguards. Its report, “Mourir dans la dignité” (Dying With Dignity), contends that dying is a part of life and since medical assistance is used to prolong life, it should also be used in extreme cases to end it.

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