EUTHANASIA IN THE NETHERLANDS

A review of two decades of euthanasia advocacy reveals that the argume nts in favor of euthanasia are not consistent. Although the Dutch deba te on euthanasia started as a protest against contemporary medicine's power over death and dying, the general acceptance of euthanasia and r ecent litigation may have increased medical power by shifting the bala nce further in the direction of physicians. This article argues that t he anxieties of some of the opponents of a euthanasia bill were justif ied.