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New Research: Economic Austerity in US and Europe 'Is Killing People'
By Jon Queally
Source: Common Dreams
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Recessions hurt, but austerity kills.
Discovering that the cure to the financial crisis of 2008 was in some ways worse than the affliction, Stucklet and Basu argue that countries "turned their recessions into veritable epidemics" by championing austerity measures that ultimately "ruined or extinguished" thousands of lives in series of "misguided" attempts to balance budgets, appease financial markets, and bow to the economic elite.
"The harms we have found include HIV and malaria outbreaks, shortages of essential medicines, lost healthcare access, and an avoidable epidemic of alcohol abuse, depression and suicide," said Dr. Stuckler in a statement. "Austerity is having a devastating effect."
"The harms we have found include HIV and malaria outbreaks, shortages of essential medicines, lost healthcare access, and an avoidable epidemic of alcohol abuse, depression and suicide," said Dr. Stuckler in a statement. "Austerity is having a devastating effect."
We were shocked and concerned at the illogic of the austerity advocates, and the hard data on its human and economic costs. We realized the impact of the Great Recession went far beyond people losing their homes and jobs. It was a full-scale assault on people's health. At the heart of the argument was the question of what it means to be a society, and what the appropriate role of government is in protecting people.
"Ultimately what we show is that worsening health is not an inevitable consequence of economic recessions. It's a political choice," said Professor Basu.
Full Article: http://www.zcommunications.org/new-research-economic-austerity-in-us-and-europe-is-killing-people-by-jon-queally
Sort of a NSS article that nobody here, I'm sure needs research to know how austerity kills, but it's slightly encouraging to see more people writing about it.
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New Research: Economic Austerity in US and Europe 'Is Killing People' (Original Post)
polly7
Apr 2013
OP
hedda_foil
(16,375 posts)1. k&r
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)2. I think that's the point. TPTB can't exactly go out, round up the
poor and undesirables like Hitler did, and simply shoot them. They have to go about it in a sneakier way these days.
But really - there shouldn't be a sliver of doubt what their intent is by now.
polly7
(20,582 posts)3. I was not too long ago very naive, thinking back to stories of my grandparents
talking about the 30's and how the gov't, once things got so bad, implemented programs to feed and take care of people here, and seemed genuinely distressed at how badly their people were doing. Things really have changed. It's gotten ruthless, inhumane, and yes, I agree with you - having a healthy population no longer matters to them. It's all about the power, control and greed.