Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Money. Dehumanization, and the 'Healthcare' System

As some who read this blog know, one of the writers I consider most enlightening is John Bloom, who writes 'Reimagine Money'. John posts infrequently, and I am always eager to read what he has to say. This last post is no exception. Here's how it concludes, in a way that I think we all must take to heart with regard to how we relate to all systems, and most definately as we relate to the 'healthcare' system.

Any invention of the mind (in this case money and debt) that is managed in order to dehumanize its users needs a new set of ethical practices that might take a cue from the ancient temples and the origins of money in Western civilization. There can be a quality of offering in and through every financial transaction. I can become more conscious of the intentions in my financial behavior, or more aware of the work and economic efforts of others to make the transactions possible at all. But first I, and others who have not already suffered enough, have to wake up to the pain and inequity that have grown within the system even as I have participated willingly, if not wisely, in it.
If you replace the references to finances and the financial system with the healthcare system you will see how clearly we have allowed ourselves to be blind and numb to the inequities we live with. Why should someone who is less fortunate than one of us suffer the consequences of no health insurance, and hence often less care, simply because our culture has chosen to capitalize the profit of delivering health care, but socialized so many of the costs. A chosen few profit, yet as a society we all bear the costs, both financial and energetic of allowing reactive care to prevail over prevention in virtually every circumstance in our healthcare system.

We have alot of work to do!

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