The article draws from the 2022 film 'Plan 75', which depicts a fictional Japan facing an aging population crisis, where the government incentivizes elderly individuals aged 75 and over to choose assisted death in exchange for financial rewards and procedural assistance. The provocative premise of this film raises significant ethical questions about the role of the state in regulating the death of its citizens and whether such incentives can ever be justified, even under the pretense of voluntary choice.

The discussion is underscored by contrasting viewpoints on the implications of offering financial incentives for death. While some might argue that providing a monetary incentive for a seemingly voluntary choice isn’t problematic and could be beneficial by alleviating the financial burden on society from an aging population, others perceive discomfort in this commodification of life and death. This discomfort is tied to the fundamental nature of life and death decisions and raises questions about whether economic rationale should govern such deeply personal choices.

To further explore this discomfort, the article references Arthur Miller's play 'Death of a Salesman', which tells the story of Willy Loman, a struggling salesman who represents the pursuit of the American Dream. This parallel suggests that just as Willy grapples with personal choices in the face of societal pressures, elderly individuals face an equally complex matrix of choices regarding life and death when incentivized by the state, forcing society to confront uncomfortable ethical dilemmas surrounding autonomy, dignity, and the worth of human life.