In the video, an investigation conducted revealed that the Chinese military has been engaging in the sale of human organs for several years dating back to 1890s. The prisoners are often executed and their organs, especially the kidneys, taken to the United States to be sold to the needy clients. The issue raises various ethical questions that many philosophers have failed to answer effectively.
The trade involves various stakeholders, including the United States government, the Chinese government, the doctors, and the customers. Each of the stakeholders has a moral responsibility of ensuring that the trade does not take place (Fisanick, 2010). First, the government of China should always ensure it protects the interests of its people instead of oppressing them.
It should safeguard the sanctity of life be keeping off from activities that would perhaps make its people suffer. The ongoing practice of executing prisoners should be stopped, as this would discourage the trade. Professional code of conduct should guide doctors whereby they should not engage in illegal and inhuman trade that entails the sale of human organs.
The government of the United States should put in place measures to would deal with the illegal trade. The stakeholders have serious moral failings in the sense that they do not respect the sanctity of life. Even though the Chinese government allows the hanging of prisoners, the military should not take advantage of the prevailing law to sale human organs.
In fact, as Ruggeiro (2011) notes, the Chinese government should show some professionalism by disposing of the bodies without tempering with the body parts. Doctors both in the US and China fail to advise the stakeholders on the illegality of the trade.
Any doctor has to be guided by ethics meaning engaging in any activity that would jeopardize the profession should be prevented. The US government is also considered a failure as far as the trade is considered because it should intervene and ensure the business is brought into a halt.
Various ideals and obligations conflict, one of them being the support of hanging as a practice to punish criminals. The law has been in place for several years, but many countries have eliminated it because of the suffering it brings to citizens. Some would argue that the organs of the hanged individuals should not be wasted since they are healthy and could be used in supporting the lives of others.
However, this claim is invalid, considering the Kantian ethics because the consequences are severe. The sale of human organs is another ethical issue that raises a heated debate. While some philosophers support the idea terming it necessary, a majority is of a different opinion because it lowers the human dignity. Even though the business is illegal and inhuman, the best outcome is that it facilitates live (Price, 2000).
The organs are not disposed of together with the bodies of prisoners, meaning it gives the sick the opportunity to continue enjoying their lives. However, the entire exercise does not bring happiness in society because many view it as illegal and inhuman.
The government of China should consider dropping the current practice of executing prisoners and introduce a better form of punishment that should be fair to the accused and the accuser. This would do away with the inhuman trade practice between the Chinese military and the American businesspersons.
References
Fisanick, C. (2010). Is selling body parts ethical? Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press.
Price, D. P. (2000). Legal and ethical aspects of organ transplantation. Cambridge: University Press.
Ruggeiro, V.R. (2011). Thinking critically about ethical issues. Bubuque: MacGraw Hill.