Warning, Danger Ahead
Janet Gilles
It is tempting to believe that a simple solution such as the single payer system will solve our health care crisis. However, modern science offers a new challenge to public health.
Nuclear energy was too cheap to meter, and the evil corporations wanted to keep it out of the hands of the people. But thanks to liberal assistance, we now have nuclear power, and every country that wants it, has it, along with the waste and the bombs.
Not to worry, science will solve the problem, along with letting us drive our big cars, as soon as the evil corporations are prevented from stopping alternative energy. No use mandating energy efficiency, when soon there will be plenty for all.
But the new solutions are not always the best. Pharmaceutical drugs, radiation, and surgery provide life saving help for many, as well as letting people live their lives more comfortably, so liberals want to mandate government paid for health care for everyone. The cost will be tremendous, the entire Federal budget, but not to worry, it will be worth it.
An alternative answer can be found in Cuba. Peak oil hit there first, and they went back to a local agriculture. With spending on health care far below that of the US, the World Health Organization rates Cuba the equal of the United States in health care, though we spend far more in dollars.
The interesting question is how can this be??
Pay attention a bit to our public health officials. They say that we cannot have health until we have good food, that 95 percent of the American population is nutrient deficient!! While twenty years ago, thirty years ago, you went to the doctor, took something and got well, not you take something your whole life. We are in the age of Chronic Disease, and the question that needs to be asked is how we got there, before we ask how we are going to pay for it.
The Green Revolution has provided lots of cheap food, but while health experts say that to have functioning immune systems, we need to eat fruits and vegetables, scientists are showing that modern farming methods leave us with very little nutrition in our fruits and vegetables. The pesticides are still there, however. Meanwhile the government subsidizes commodities. Not fruits and vegetables. So every year, in the United States, junk food gets cheaper, and the food that we need for health becomes less nutritious and more expensive.
“Our communities are flooded with cheap, unhealthy foods that ultimately are helping drive healthcare costs through the roof,” said Dr. David Wallinga, director of the Food and Health Program at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
http://www.publichealthaction.org/index.php?option=com_content&
For many other sources, go to stopthefarmbill.blogspot.com.
And if you want to see how the Cubans returned agriculture to its roots, join Slow Food Austin at Central Market next Tuesday at 6:30.
How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba’s economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call “The Special Period.”
We will meet at from 6:30 to 7:00pm to socialize. The movie starts at 7:00pm sharp. Length: 1 hour.
**This month’s session will be held at the Central Market’s community meeting room which is just inside the cafe doors. 4001 North Lamar in Austin, TX.
