Is the Dutch Gronningen Infanticide Protocol Akin to The Nazi Doctors?

Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wesley J. Smith

There is an interesting discussion underway in the thread from a previous post between two valued SHS commenters, as to whether the Dutch infanticide that has flowed illegally, but generally undisturbed. from the country’s euthanasia permissiveness, can be fairly compared to the infanticide of disabled infants during the medical Holocaust in Germany during World War II. One commenter said, appropriately, that we should be very careful before drawing such analogies. The other, who is reading Robert Jay Lifton’s magnificently researched The Nazi Doctors, sees striking similarities and is disturbed.

I think both are right. There are some similarities between what is happening in the Netherlands now, and what happened in Germany then. But there are also pronounced differences. In fact, I spent quite a bit of time on this subject in both Forced Exit and Culture of Death. the rest

So, while the Nazi analogy should be used with great restraint, and differences should be noted, the charge that Dutch infanticide has certain very disturbing similarities cannot be rejected out of hand. Indeed, in the concept of the life deemed so compromised that it justifies killing, we see disturbing echoes from history that should give us all great pause.