Economic Inequality Killing People
Posted: Wednesday, February 03, 2010
by Joel Hirschhorn
http://www.delusionaldemocracy.com
Here is a new research finding for understanding public health differences among nations, especially why health statistics for the US look awful relative to other advanced nations. Why do other countries have healthier populations and longer lives for their citizens? Here is the new answer: Societies with more equal distributions of income and wealth consistently have better health results than unequal societies.
But the new research published in the British Medical Journal by epidemiologists from Japan and the Harvard School of Public Health using a series of complex statistical analyses found a solid association between income inequality and health. Their principal finding: Individuals "living in regions with high income inequality have an excess risk for premature mortality independent of their socioeconomic status, age, and sex."
Think of it this way. If you're a middle-income person in an unequal society, you're going to have shorter life than a similarly situated middle-income person in a more equal society. How does this translate into important effects? In the world's top 30 industrial nations, the Japanese and American research team concluded, "upwards of 1.5 million deaths" - nearly 10 percent of total mortality in the age 15-to-60 age group - could be prevented by reducing income inequality. That is by having public policies and cultural conditions that spread income and wealth more equally.
The impact of inequality on the turns out to be even more stunning, not surprisingly since no developed nation has wider gaps in income and wealth. Of the deaths the new study ties to inequality, almost 900,000 came in the US.
US epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Bezruchka of the University of Washington School of the Public Health placed that calculation in perspective. "We can say that one in four deaths can be attributed to our high rates of income inequality."
The most striking evidence of US economic inequality in the is the steady death of the middle class as it merges into a large Lower Class, while the rich and powerful in the greedy Upper Class maintain their stranglehold on the American political system. So, when it comes to discussions about health care reform, more attention should be given to the linking between economic policy and public health. Fixing economic injustice is also necessary for reducing health care spending.
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Hi Joel, First comment, ay? It looks like articles about poor people aren't too popular. The most read article on SearchWarp today is about good sex positions.
I don't believe that the mentality of Americans will change soon, and therefore see a steady decline that will impact the rich slightly or not at all because they have a large cushion, be devastating for the middle class, and destroy poor people.
Sometimes there is just no solution. The money, as it tightens, will politically be withdrawn from social programs such as medicare and social security, because that's the easiest, and soon we will have poor farms for old folks, just like we did before - at best. At worst, your mom and dad will be living on the streets with no food, no prospect of even a part time job, and no health care. What a great country.
I would strongly reccomend to anyone who has some life's savings to protect, are living on social security and can no longer afford the payments for Medicare Part B and the supplemental health insurance required to protect their life savings, move to a country like Thailand. A long term retirement visa is available, and you can live extremely well on $1000 a month. The cost of doctors and hospitals are about 1/10 the cost here, and drugs about 1/20 the cost in America (same procedures, same drugs).
I believe that greedy America is becoming too expensive for common folks, and soon there will be no safety nets. At least in all other industrialized countries, basic human needs are met such as health care. But not here. And it is only going to get worse. Even with a Democratic majority, the wealthy with influence win.
Very interesting information, Joel. It amazes me how we have reams of historical data covering centuries of time, all reaching the same conclusions as these reports, yet today we have so many in the U.S. rallying to support the rich getting richer and the poor being left behind.
It's obvious that the countries of the world with the greatest economic equity are humming along relatively peacefully, and the countries with the greatest economic disparity are producing terrorists. Which do we want the U.S. to be?
Instead, we celebrate the fact that our justice system has given corporations the right to buy politicians. I don't know how any U.S. citizen could keep from being embarrassed by this.
Excellent article, with an important message based on good evidence.It's a shame that many attempts to close the inequality gap in the US are derided as "socialist". People are dying because that gap. I think most people accept that not everyone should earn the same amount - people who work harder, or in more vital or responsible positions should earn more, and people should be rewarded for success within their field - but when corporate CEOs are earning several THOUSAND times more than the people on the bottom rung of the corporation then something is clearly wrong.Income and healthcare inequality is killing a lot more Americans than terrorists, yet any attempt to tackle the problems is met with scorn.
Our own declaration of Independence declares that "all people are created equal"Why then are we not treated equally?
Very insightful article, Thanks.
I have heard about this previously. But i'm not sure what is the reason? Maybe you see more unhappy faces around and it makes you feel in a bad mood and surpresses your immunity? Otherwise why would a middle class person with a good income be affected?
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