November 28, 2000

9:32 PM

Capitalism to the extreme in Russia.A Russian Grandma was caught trying to sell her grandson for $90,000. No she wasn't selling him to some adoption agency so he could go to a 'caring family' somewhere in the west. She was selling him for his organs. She even rips off her other son (the boy's uncle). His excuse, "I wanted to buy a house and a new car and some clothes. It was my dream." I'm sure it was his nephew's dream as well to be sold for his organs.
posted by jay (11 comments total)

I saw this link earlier today...you can only imagine what the kid will think of this when he's older.
posted by pnevares at 9:53 PM on November 28, 2000

The world is just a bad sci-fi novel. That is more disturbing than the usual weird stuff that ends up getting linked to...especially the fact that there is a Standard sentencing for dealing in organs. But...extreme capitalism indeed...that is a really direct approach to establishing someones worth, rather than the amount of work and money you can make for someone else in your lifetime...because we are all just cattle anyways.
posted by th3ph17 at 9:57 PM on November 28, 2000

The Russian police won't name names regarding the prospective buyers; only say that they are "westerners". Just how westerner are we talking about here? London or San Francisco?

I can remember when I was in college, there were these two dorm roomates who regularly gave plasma because they found this place that would give them money in return for it. Not a lot but it was enough to be worth their time. This actually gave them just enough cash to scrape by. One day in between classes, these two guys (who looked real thin and anemic by the way) were laughing and joking about how if they could, they'd sell their internal organs. "you only really need one kidney" they'd say laughing. "Hell ya only need one eye, man!" Ha ha ha. Stuff like that. I was laughing with them to a point, then said nervously, "you don't really mean that though, right?" You coulda heard a pin drop.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:29 AM on November 29, 2000

Capitalism to the extreme in Russia

Capitalism: An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market....

This case has a lot more to do with Crime I think than with capitalism per se....Russian or otherwise.

posted by murray_kester at 1:01 AM on November 29, 2000

I was thinking it was a lingering example of the complete and total failure of Communism. The individual has no rights.
posted by Mick at 5:47 AM on November 29, 2000

Yeah Mick, that kind of stuff never happens in Democratic countries! GO USA!! GO USA!!

Obviously only the pinkos would SELL THEIR CHILDREN!!


posted by jbeaumont at 6:52 AM on November 29, 2000

I appalled that the sentnce for selling organs--someone else's organs--is so light.

these people ought to be locked up and the key thrown away.

rcb
posted by rebeccablood at 11:43 AM on November 29, 2000

I think "capitalism to the extreme" is a good way to put it. If a thing can be sold, somebody will be desperate enough to sell it. We saw this just a day ago with the perchlorate research study: people were willing to take a 50% chance on poisoning themselves for a mere $1000.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 12:23 PM on November 29, 2000

I heard this story just last night. In Australia a man woke up in the morning in a bathtub full of ice, after he'd been to a club and was picked up by a female who offered him a drink. On his chest in lipstick was written "If you want to live dial 000" ( Australia's emergency number ) with a phone next to him. It turned out that he was druged, and had BOTH his kidneys removed.
posted by Zool at 4:24 PM on November 29, 2000

Cite! Cite!
posted by kindall at 5:00 PM on November 29, 2000

I'm sure you heard it from a friend of a friend.
posted by harmful at 6:03 PM on November 29, 2000