Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.John F. Kennedy

Inner Life Directions

Expanding Reality

Governance

  • How They Got To Congress

    The NYT researched how each member of Congress arrived there and published a graphic which anyone can use. They compare Congress members as our unofficial aristocracy since they are in effect our ruling class. What they found is that they do not represent the average citizen. As a whole their history, opportunities, background, personal wealth, education can much differ from those of their constituents. An important conclusion they suggest is that it seems the US only has a limited number of ways to enter the halls of power. There may be some difference between Democrats and Republicans, for instance more Republicans house members were formerly in business are opposed to the number of Democrats. The implication is that one’s experience predisposes one to certain issues. In the case of those who were in business, they are more likely to be pro-business in their votes and the issues they sponsor and the type of bills they introduce.  Congress members are wealthier than the average American and that too makes a difference, sometimes sponsoring legislation that benefits their own class at the expense of others.

    The United States is a representative democracy, meaning that those who make decisions on behalf of the people ought to represent them. The variance that exists between citizens and their representatives has become troubling. I have not read or heard any real answer to this, but if we want our democracy to regain its vibrancy, if we want Congress to be representative of the needs and aspirations of citizens, it would seem one way to start is by electing people who are more like us. And let’s note, that means we have to vote!

  • Drugs Expiration Dates Revelation

    About 50 years ago the FDA instituted expiration dates on drugs, meaning that was the date, typically two to three years, until which they could guarantee efficiency. Well, it turns out that is not so. A toxicologist from the California Poison Control Center and a research pharmacist from the University of California San Francisco teamed up and discovered drugs can last often years longer. They studied 14 compounds and out of those 12 retained their efficiency. Of course the present system suits drug companies. The federal government stockpiles many medications which periodically have to be discarded. Nursing homes discard medications once a patient leaves and pharmacies certainly have to. All in all the researchers found that the waste in the health care system amounts to $765 billion a year, something like a quarter of health care spending. And drug waste account for a large portion of that.

    ProPublica conducted the investigation that exposed these facts. Now it’s up to us to start using them. It will be a long time before Big Pharma owns up to this fact since it improves their bottom line, and it will equally be a long time before the FDA changes its rules. But we can heed this revelation and not go by the expiration date of given drugs. Two expensive drugs I was using, one a cream, another an inhaler reinforced the point the researchers made. I used them beyond the expiration date with no difference, and when I mentioned it to my doctor, she said “sure, that’s fine.”

  • Threats to Global Health

    WHO, the World Health Organization, has issued its annual report of health threats around the world and you’d think it would be dull reading—I suppose it would for those who don’t care what happens in the world. I found it instructive, scary, helpful, and informing about what our priorities ought to be. It is also a reminder that no country is an island. What happens far away affects us eventually. Here is the list. Please note the first threat, due to air pollution and climate change, and note too the threat coming from what they term here vaccine hesitancy. While it is true that some have the right to not be vaccinated, we must now ask when does that right contribute to a public health threat?

    • Air Pollution and Climate Change (yes!!!)
    • Non Communicable Diseases (e.g. alcohol, tobacco, diet)
    • Global Influenza Pandemic (will come but don’t know when and how strong)
    • Fragile and Vulnerable Settings (drought, displacements)
    • Anti-Microbial Resistance (including diseases like TB)
    • Ebola and Other High Threat Pathogens (we already know what happens)
    • Weak Primary Health Care (lack, access and cost)
    • Vaccine Hesitancy (something that is growing in the US)
    • Dengue (390 million infections a year)
    • HIV (still affecting many millions)

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