I wish everyone could read this section, along with the rest of the book, to be honest. The contrast between what social conservatives consider to be correct ideology and what studies have actually found to be right is striking. How can millions–perhaps billions–of people operate under the assumption that cutting health spending saves money when it has been shown time and time again to not be an effective strategy? Governments seriously need to think in the long term and pass laws and budget reforms that will benefit their nation at its core, and at its core is the health of the people.
Archives
25
Apr 14
The Body Economics, Part II
Reading Part II of The Body Economics, I found Iceland’s situation to be particularly fascinating. As a native of the United States, it is difficult to imagine a civilian protest on the same scale as those that occurred in Iceland over the IMF-proposed plan. As stated in the reading, the Icelandic protests would equate to ten million people in the US gathering together in Washington, D.C.; this would be virtually impossible. It is also crazy to imagine the US government responding to protest the way the Icelandic government did. While it may be risky to allow a country’s entire population to vote democratically on an issue as vital as economic policy, I cannot think of a better way to represent the needs of everyone–not just those high up on the socioeconomic ladder. It is absurd that the whole population should have to pay for the mistakes made by the upper class. Iceland clearly made the right call, given the It would be wise for those opposed to deficit spending in times of economic recession–such as Iceland’s wealthy investors–to take another look and see that you not only have to spend money to make money, but to keep your population healthy and productive.
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Mar 14
Planned Shrinkage
Because of urban decay, partially caused by the planned shrinkage of the Bronx’s fire departments, the populations either living with AIDS and/or using intravenous drugs had no choice but to disperse throughout the borough, leaving them, many times, at a loss for accessible health care and community programs that would allow them medical and emotional support. In the reading, among the three solutions given for restoring stability in the Bronx is, “intensive community organizing.” While this would likely help the situation, it seems like it would be quite difficult for communities struck severely by poverty, disease and lack of resources to find the time and means to organize effectively; by no means am I saying that they would be unable to do so, but if a household is spending the majority of their time struggling to take care of themselves, I doubt “intensive community organizing” would be high up on their priority list. The majority of the responsibility should fall on both the city’s government and it’s more stable populations to provide adequate services and housing for these neglected populations. Even now, as limited low income housing forces people onto years-long waiting lists, out of the city, and even into the streets, not nearly enough is being done to rectify the situation. We need more low income housing and fewer high rise condominiums to be built; more resources and public spaces that are accessible to the entire community–to build and sustain community relations–and fewer corporate coffee shops popping up on every corner.
As stated in the reading, plagues typically begin within the lower class and “work their way up.” As such, it’s a incredulous misstep that more attention is not paid to the welfare of the lower class in New York City and elsewhere. The middle and upper classes often focus on their own well being without taking into account that not only is the lower class composed of people that deserve good health just as much as they do, but the health of the lower class has a strong impact on the health of everyone. Recalling a comment Professor Braine made in a previous class, socioeconomic disparity negatively affects all classes, not just those lower on the class hierarchy. Given this information, not only is the implementation of “planned shrinkage” borderline evil from a moral standpoint, it is also completely counterproductive even if a city seeks to only better the health of its middle and upper class populations.
