i <3 the bbc

they've got this wonderful show, "world have your say," where they bring on some guests, choose a topic, and open up the phone lines for people all over hte world to prove that people all over hte world are stupid, and that stupidity is not confined to any particular continent or ethnic group.

today's topic was assisted suicide. one guest was australia's own doctor death. for the opposition, they had an australian "right to life group". now, intolerant and closed minded as i am, i had no need to hear the actual discussion so i went and took a shower while they talked. the very fact that the anti-euthanasia group had "right to life" in their name told me everything i needed to know. the notion that by the time i reach a cancerous old age, i am incapable of deciding to cede my "right to life" is not only offensively presumptuous, but also just plain grammatically false. the (arguably false) notion of "rights" exists to protect those who cannot protect themselves, but if i, in full possession of what small faculties i have, cannot choose between ending and continuing my life, i never had any "rights" to my life in the first place.

in any case, that wasn't the best part.

some dude from africa called up and said that when his parents died, his grandmother survived them, and the local superstitions interpreted these events as his grandmother putting a curse on them and killing them, using her midichlorians or something. it was hard to sort out the details (the host had to ask for clarification of his point), but i think he was using this to argue against assisted suicide. or for. does it make any difference? he was surrounded by people who honestly believe that when someone outlives their children, it's because they've personally killed them with their magic schwartz ring.

all righty then.

anyhow, it's both infuriating and sad, and it's often how i start my day -- getting riled up about overseas idiots spouting off on the beeb. i guess it's good in the sense it shows i still care about stuff.