This post does not contain medical advice that most people should attempt to emulate. Considering this home treatment specifically made sense for us. My spouse has a four-year nursing degree and several years of experience working in Intensive Care Units. I've spent a non-trivial amount of time researching medical stuff.

Note the risks of DIY oxygen in this footnote[1]

Preamble

It rankles somewhat that medications require prescriptions. Like any good libertarian[2], I feel that regardless of what they do to me, my right to substances only ends only when it causes me to punch your nose. And even then, I think the criminalization should be of nose-punching.

Granted, without restrictions, many people would make worse decisions about what to do with their brains and bodies than (historically) what government bodies would have decided for them. Notwithstanding, it's their bodies and brains: they should be theirs to do with as they wish so long as they're not hurting anyone else[3]. Who is the government to make decisions for them (and me)? "For our own good"?! Fucking paternalism.

As if they actually know better. (For what it's worth, I'm the kind of guy to advise my spouse to cut off her [...]

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Outline:

(00:35 ) Preamble

(01:58 ) Oxygen Quest

(11:42 ) Reflections on Regulation

The original text contained 6 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:

November 20th, 2025

Source:

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/3CKvhF8DBnYd7anFx/out-paternalizing-the-government-getting-oxygen-for-my-baby

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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