Buy food? Or buy shelter?
Move in hopes of a better life? Or stay where you are in relative safety?

I think it is appalling that someone should have to choose between abject poverty and selling an organ. But that it because I don’t think they should be living in abject poverty in the first place.

Still, imagine for a moment that we have not solved the proplems faced by the poor. (this should be easy to imagine). Then I am fairly uncomfortable about making other people’s decisions for them. Sure: Maybe it seems to me that selling a kidney isn’t worth $5,000.

But then again… if $500 made the difference between eating and not; between giving my kids a bed and not; between allowing my family to have a future and not… well, I might sell the kidney.

After all, people make life-changing sacrifices all the time. It seems overly paternalistic to impose our set of values on someone else.

Alternatively, ask yourself this: Is there NO amount which would satisfy your standards? Do you really expect to claim that a penniless person trying to raise a family wouldn’t–couldn’t be better off with $100,000 and one kidney, than $0 and 2 kidneys? Do you think there aren’t people who would pay $100,000 for a kidney?

OK, how about $50,000?

If you’re living hand to mouth, you might not accumulate $50,000 in savings over the course of your entire life. Hell, your family together might not accumulate that much.

Give people some damn respect. They are perfectly capable of making an intelligent choice. If you’re so concerned about paternalism and exploitation, you can set up cost minimums. But don’t take autonomy away from everyone in the U.S.