Health matters to us all. We want to live as long and prosperous lives as possible. And, we like to think our governments are behind us. It may seem strange to link politics and health, but it’s not as far out as you might think. In some ways, our health falls to us. We have to eat right, and exercise. But, our environments, and the world around us, also determine health levels. And, who controls those? Our governments of course.
No one can deny that, in the past, the government hasn’t made the best decisions. In some ways, we have to cut them some slack. Most of the things they’ve done which have damaged health have been down to misinformation. The main incidence is use of asbestos. Many homes built before 1980 contain these minerals, known to cause cancer. Even now, people have to turn to an asbestos exposure attorney to gain compensation for long-term effects. And, who ordered this material to be used? The government of course. You could argue that they didn’t realize the effects, but they should’ve done more rigorous testing.
Smoking is another thing backed by the government, and indeed some doctors. These are people whose opinions we should trust, and they were well behind the idea of smoking. Again, the main issue here was that the effects weren’t known. Even so, the fact that tobacco products are still legal is a worrying sign. While the government takes steps, such as unbranded packaging, to sway us, they won’t stop sales. Why? Because of the money!
Money plays a common factor in many of the damaging steps government take to harm health. While past mistakes can be chalked up to inexperience, the same can’t be said of errors in the modern age. We may not live in asbestos lined houses, but the government still damage our health in subtle ways. The recent Grenfell Tower building fire in London is a horrific example of this. Investigations have revealed that sub-standard, more flammable cladding was used in the building. Why? Because it was cheaper.
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And, that’s not the only money-saving act of inhumanity we’ve seen from officials this year. In the US, Trump’s recent pull from the Paris climate agreement is worrying news for us all. While the most visible impact is on the environment, the decision could also affect health. If there’s less regulation on pollution, there’s less control of the air we’re breathing. You don’t need us to tell you the damage that could cause. The motivations for such a move seem unclear to most of us, but Trump was honest about his reasoning – climate change was costing too much money.
Looking at the facts, there’s no way to deny that our health may not be a priority for the people in charge. It’s worrying whatever way you look at it. But, instead of panicking, take this as all the more reason to take charge and do what you can to live a healthy life.
Also see her contributions at disruptive business and political site zenruption
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