Repeating the insanity over organ donation opt in and out

The British Parliament has, once again, committed one of its regular mistakes. Such errors but always coming from the manner in which the political classes never actually do consider the evidence the real world affords them. This time it's over organ donations and presumed consent.

Ministers backed a change in the law yesterday that would turn everyone into an organ donor unless they opt out.

Presumed consent is set to be introduced in England, in line with Scotland and Wales, after a Private Member's Bill was passed unopposed in the Commons.

Health minister Jackie Doyle-Price said the Government planned to call it Max's Law after Max Johnson, ten, who was saved by a heart transplant.

Einstein was said to have said that doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results was the definition of insanity. We must conclude, therefore, that those who rule us are insane.

Sure, it sounds sensible. People die waiting for organ transplants, other people die with organs that could potentially be transplanted. Confiscate that second stock to feed the need, why not?

Well, the why not is, quite apart from anything else like "Our Bodies Alone" and such slogans is that it doesn't damn well work. For near all of us die, even if with organs intact, with the organs in no fit state for transplant. There just aren't enough of us who die healthy enough that is.

In fact, as has mordantly been pointed out more than once, the only way we'd gain an increase in organs for transplant is if we stopped insisting upon motorcycle helmets. For that's, roughly enough, what we need as donors, brain dead fit young people lying in the ICU, not us oldsters succumbing to cancers, degenerative diseases and dementias.

Now, perhaps this is not true? But the thing is we've tested it. in Wales as noted. And transplant rates haven't shifted at all. We already were, with opt in, using all the usable organs people left lying around at their departure. We're thus nationalising the corpses of the nation to no effect whatsoever.

Einstein was right by the way.