What, as consumers, can we do end corporate takeover of the medical system, local newspapers, local businesses, health insurance and big pharma. I've lived overseas for 36 years and I returned to the US last year. I am shocked and extremely frustrated by the lack of services, and the lack of responsiveness by these businesses. If I have a problem I'm put on hold for up to 45 minutes to simply speak with a human being all the while having to listen to a recorded message that my call is important to this company. Overseas, the wait time to see a doctor is a maximum of two days, here it is up to three months. And trying to negotiate the health insurance system is impossible.
So what, as consumers, can we do to break up these monopolies, and have medical care system that actually puts the patient first and not corporate profits. I know we are getting screwed, but I need answers on what we can do to change this.
Our perception of the problem is local, but the problem is global in scale. I wish I could be more optimistic, but I feel that too many of our political “leaders” and their respective constituents have neglected, denied and/or ignored the growing climate crises that is already obliterating our life support systems.
The article is summarized as "Economists offer alternatives to financial safeguards created when the U.S. was the pre-eminent superpower and climate change wasn’t on the agenda."
Life as we know it and our survival will be jeopardized when summer temps become too hot to allow pollination, when the pollinators and soil microbiome die, and when droughts and flooding whipsaw our seasons of chores, favorable weather and harvests. The availability of cash may be a moot problem when sustainable, safe food production, safe drinking water and fresh air no longer exist.
Just a comment on the Lowe's/Home Depot...here in Dodgeville, WI have lost our Ederer's hardware
store this past year. Friends complained they were 'high', but I was supporting a local business and a
small greenhouse in the spring. GRRR Deb (PS I do not shop at Walmart or Amazon. Pigs at the trough.)
What, as consumers, can we do end corporate takeover of the medical system, local newspapers, local businesses, health insurance and big pharma. I've lived overseas for 36 years and I returned to the US last year. I am shocked and extremely frustrated by the lack of services, and the lack of responsiveness by these businesses. If I have a problem I'm put on hold for up to 45 minutes to simply speak with a human being all the while having to listen to a recorded message that my call is important to this company. Overseas, the wait time to see a doctor is a maximum of two days, here it is up to three months. And trying to negotiate the health insurance system is impossible.
So what, as consumers, can we do to break up these monopolies, and have medical care system that actually puts the patient first and not corporate profits. I know we are getting screwed, but I need answers on what we can do to change this.
Our perception of the problem is local, but the problem is global in scale. I wish I could be more optimistic, but I feel that too many of our political “leaders” and their respective constituents have neglected, denied and/or ignored the growing climate crises that is already obliterating our life support systems.
Today's article in NY Times "The Debt Problem Is Enormous. Experts Say the System for Fixing It Is Broken" (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/business/economy/imf-world-bank-sovereign-debt.html) acknowledges "the trillions of dollars that developing countries will need to mitigate the ravages of climate change."
The article is summarized as "Economists offer alternatives to financial safeguards created when the U.S. was the pre-eminent superpower and climate change wasn’t on the agenda."
Life as we know it and our survival will be jeopardized when summer temps become too hot to allow pollination, when the pollinators and soil microbiome die, and when droughts and flooding whipsaw our seasons of chores, favorable weather and harvests. The availability of cash may be a moot problem when sustainable, safe food production, safe drinking water and fresh air no longer exist.