I think that the emphasis that the reading puts on child education as a way to improve both health and poverty is very important. Researching for my group presentation and final paper about how education can affect people far beyond simply learning math and reading, I can truly appreciate the education I have received, and understand the importance of the policies discussed in the reading. By keeping children in school, and starting school at a younger age, children are able to develop important skills that they may not be able to master if they are home all day, watching or helping their parents work. Childhood is a key time for development of social skills, emotional health and even physical health. It is important that children work on these skills in the right environments, and that they are encouraged to keep working and do their best. If children are not properly educated, they grow up with higher chances of depression, and anxiety. They have lower self-esteem and are more likely to do things such as drugs. Additionally, by having children staying in school, not only do parents have more time to work and make money, but also children will grow up with an increased chance to do the same.
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02
May 14
The Body Economic Part III
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.
02
May 14
The Body Economic Prt 3
This reading, especially concerning Diane and her very unfortunate health situation, hit a very personal level for me. I completely empathize, and see everyday people whom are struggling to pay their healthcare bills or neglect to attempt to receive health care at all. Yes, this is often due to the ‘overcrowding’ affect referred to in the reading. All too often, as the authors said, insurance companies pull in the healthiest, wealthiest patients, and push out those who may be more at risk. It seems Diane’s tragic story is only one of thousands in the United States, health issues are prolonged and worsened because of austerity and a lack of trust in our medical system. Where there is only debt and misuse and unfair treatment, there cannot possibly be healing. For as the conclusion read, first as an economic and political body, we must strive to do no harm.
The striking rates at which suicide and homelessness jumped with unemployment and austerity was also alarming. However, I was rather inspired by Sweden’s ALMP’s and Finland’s drive to destroy homelessness. It is these initiatives that give the United States, and other struggling health care countries, the inspiration to reach for a healthier tomorrow. Because, if one thing rang true more than anything in this reading, the people must come first. Without our people at the forefront of our concerns, our economic austerity will do even more to plunge citizens, and this country, farther into debt and joblessness.
One bit in the reading that quite surprised me was the West Nile Virus outbreak in California. This outbreak shows the trickle down effects of austerity on that state and the overall health of its people. Citizens were losing their jobs, their homes had to be foreclosed, and their uncleaned pools became nesting grounds for infectious misquitos. The path is so clear, yet the results were incredibly disastrous.
Finally, if we are to become a body economic and move and live together in harmony, we must end budget cuts that are poisoning our citizen body’s peace of mind. Without jobs and homes, we cannot hope to move forward creating new ideas or inventing new scientific techniques. And if the future of our country is important, than we need to seriously start reevaluating our monetary spending as a government.
