9 years ago
5
Austerity kills: The sad, sick truth about right-wing economics’ body count
“If austerity were tested like a medication in a clinical trial,it would have been stopped long ago, given its deadly side effects…. One need not be an economic ideologue – we certainly aren’t – to recognize that the price of austerity can be calculated in human lives.” (David Stuckler and physician Sanjay Basu, authors, “The body economic:Why austerity kills,” 2013)
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http://www.salon.com
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Like a lot of articles at Salon these days, I find this one is pretty much just a partisan smear job. When Glenn Greenwald wrote for Salon he (as he always does) provided fact based analysis, not emotional "well, this, therefore right wingers are bad". The world economy has been in a huge slump for years because of a lot of reasons. And, just like in the U.S., when the UK had big bucks, its politicians spent lavishly to promote themselves and keep themselves in office. There are very few politicians in any party that aren't self-centered twats bent on doing anything to keep their cushy lifestyle afloat. Blaming one group over another is like saying, "Well, that' lying used car salesman is better than that other lying used car salesman because he has a blue tie." Almost 100% are serial liars and the few that aren't are marginalized to the point that they are merely stemming the tide of corruption. Even if you have a genuine, honest politician that wants to help the poor through a government program, it will eventually become mired in bureaucracy and corrupt just like every other government program. Looking to any group of politicians for help on economics is not the answer. They can't balance the spread sheets for the government they work for now, what makes you think they can create any positive economic situations for the millions of people they supposedly govern? The sooner we stop letting politicians dictate the economics of the countries they govern, the better.
Oh, really? Do tell. When has the free market fairy solved the economic problems of nations suffering from boom-and-bust cycles? When has relaxing government regulation over industry and taking a "hands off" approach to economics produced anything but greater inequality and economic uncertainty? Hoover thought yours was the solution as well, and they named shanty towns after him. He at least had the wisdom to recognize he was wrong and reverse course at the last minute. What will the new shanty towns be named?
I'm sorry, did the budget did get balanced while you were typing that? Spending other people's money without regard for the bottom line is a problem all politicians have, especially the ones that use war as a means to get re-elected.* *See all of history.
I'll take that as your admission that no, you have no such evidence. Instead you're trying to blame the system that's been under attack by conservatives as evidence that it doesn't work. And you have no demonstrably workable solutions to replace it. What could possibly go wrong?
Only all of recorded history of politicians spending your money. I don't recall any of your solutions being proffered, just insults, which are not evidence. Live up to your own standards if you have anything to offer other than just complaints and ire.