Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Strengthening Our Health

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Strengthening Our Health

by John de Graaf from Solutions.

I certainly agree with everything in this article. Unfortunately, the author is much too naive to understand that these solutions are not possible in a society that is designed to serve the profit addiction of a few people.

America has the most expensive health care system in the world, yet Americans rank 50th in life expectancy, just below Bosnia and above Albania.
We can fix this system by taking a more holistic approach to good health.
We should start by improving children’s health by focusing on prenatal care and providing at least three months or more of paid leave to all parents of babies or very young children.
We can improve our lifestyle by reducing working hours to give Americans more time for exercise, sleep, and healthy eating.
And we can reduce stress by re-instituting tax policies that narrow the gap between rich and poor and guaranteeing vacation time and paid sick days.

While his recommendations would benefit that vast majority in the US, capitalists would actually lose some of the profit supply that feeds their addiction. Because capitalists rule, they make the rules to serve themselves.

Until progressives in the US grow up, they will never see any progress. Instead they will encounter an increasing degradation of economic conditions for the vast majority of the population.