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“Why was larry hagman every granted a new liver? THat drunken idiot never deserved one.”

well...I guess that goes along with the whole Micky Mantle affair as well.
Did he wait for the liver like everyone else?
Was there evidence of bribery or influence?

“What about people with HepC? Is it ethical to give them a new liver?”

That would be my cousin.

“In my opinion, since organs are typically harvested only from the young and healthy, then the recipients of organs should only be the young and potentially healthy.”

An interesting opinion that I’m not sure I share.

Right now it is supposed to be based on who is the sickest.
You are suggesting there should be a point system of some sort?
The younger and healthier you are - the more points.
Clean living -no screw ups - more points.

Older and sicker - subtract points?
Drinker/drugger/promiscuous? - subtract points?

So - we will be making the donor matchers into morality watchers as well?
Do you really think that will fly?

There is a point system in effect. The person who will benefit the most, with the greatest chance for success, and least chance of rejection (at least for kidneys) will usually get the organ. They are not going to give an organ to a person who will probably reject it, even if they are younger or have been waiting longer.

It’s got nothing to do with morality. It’s got everything to do with maximizing potential productive years per organ. You wouldn’t give a perfect 16 year old heart to a mentally impared 90 year old with an incurable infectious disease.