good for your health

A story posted on CNN today confirms what I have been saying all along. Recessions are good for you. You smoke less, eat less, eat out less, and drive less. Add in less shopping and more exercise and you can see why we all need a recession. Given the current wave of obesity, make that a long recession. Nothing will do more for public health than a severe reduction in consumption.

The recession has other beneficial effects as well: it decreases air pollution and the production of greenhouse gases. It slows global warming. There is less traffic and less cargo being shipped around. We decrease ocean pollution. All those things are good for the planet (which really means our habitat on the planet, because the planet itself does not really care) and ourselves. Another good thing is that people rein in their reproduction and that helps with overpopulation.

It appears that even the increased stress from losing one's job, or worries about providing food and shelter for one's family is rather insignificant compared to the gains we make elsewhere. Remember, there is no free lunch, ever. And to stay on theme: suicides do increase during recessions and depressions, but that effect is so small as to be negligible.

If anything, the research confirms how flawed, misguided and unhealthy our economic model really is. Rather than bring good things to us -isn't that the way we think about a thriving economy? That it is good for us?- a thriving economy cuts down on our life-expectancy, both as individuals, and as a species on this planet.

No, you are not better off when you have a bigger house, a bigger SUV, a bigger TV, and a bigger stereo. You are not better off when you can buy all the soda and food you like. You are not better off when you can travel to faraway places. Those things don't make you healthier or happier. All that talk about health and happiness is just false advertising and it is about time that someone cracks down on it.

You will not feel better if you eat out. You will just get fatter and fatter. You will not be better off if have a faster car. Quite to the contrary, you may feel frustrated more often in the inevitable traffic jams. You will not be healthier if you have a bigger house. You will just have a bigger headache to worry about and you will have to yell louder to find your family members. You will not feel better if you take long hot showers, you are drying out your skin and may contract a deadly lung infection. The list goes on and on.

boycott ebay

Meg Whitman wants to take California back to the stone age. These aren't my words. These are the words of a Republican governor by the name of Arnold Schwarzenegger. And he is right. Why on earthy would Meg want to overturn the few environmental regulations we have? To create new jobs? You got to be kidding? Destroying the environment cannot bring long lasting value-creating jobs. It is always a stopgap measure.

Meg is not kidding however. She wants to use her "own" money, up to $100 million of it, to roll back the times. That $100 million is money she "earned" as founder and CEO of eBay. It is money, we the people put in her pocket and now she is going to use it against us. I say we teach her a lesson. And it will be a win-win.

eBay has long since stopped being a place for good bargains. I routinely find better deals running a Google search. And Google is better in more ways that one. They ignore spaces and other variants of spelling to get you the information you need. No surprise there, Google is not for nothing the best search engine on the web. And unlike Bing, it lets you make your own decisions.

I sure hope the people of California are smart enough not to support an environmental disaster like Meg Whitman. And I also hope they teach her a lesson by taking back some of that money they pumped into eBay. She doesn't deserve it.

so you thought it was over?

It amazes me how easily people give in to wishful thinking or are swayed by a bit of summer optimism. There are those who seriously believed the recession was over. You could add the White House, the Fed and some associated economists, but of course one does not know whether those guys really believed it (I hope not) or whether they were just doing what they are paid to do, i.e. be super-optimistic and give rosy forecasts.

In any case, even my friend Krugman seems convinced we have averted disaster. And that may well be true, we may have averted a sudden collapse of the financial system with all the havoc that would produce. However that does not mean we are out of the woods. Far from it. For several decades now Americans have lived as if there were no tomorrow. They have outspent themselves and accumulated debt. More than half of the households in the country have zero net worth. All of that in an economy that depends on consumer spending for 3/4's of its value. It is not something you can remedy in a few months, or even a few years.

There is a silver lining to all this. I already noted that greenhouse gas production -as well as habitat destruction- is dropping. That is good. People are also consuming less. That is good too, even though it will cause more hardship in the short run. Hopefully it will cause enough hardship so we make some changes to our economic system. And that is what worries me the most. Change is always hard and changing this economic system will be super, super hard to do. To be honest, I hope it will happen, but I am almost certain it won't.

It may be impossible to change the current economic system unless the US collapses or revolution ensues. That is the lesson we learn from history. No matter how much trouble a country is in, and or how many people rebel, the rich tend to get richer and the poor poorer until the latter are so downtrodden and destitute and so numerous that a revolution is inevitable. We are a long way from that scenario.

The other option, a loss of economic driving force, the disappearance of the engine, resulting in a collapse of the empire, seems far off too. Although the latter is the more likely scenario for the US, it is at least fifty to a hundred years out. Waiting for such an event is not a smart thing to do. We should try to remedy our problems before they run out of control.

So what can we do to change?

The solution is quite simple. We need to learn to live within our means. We need to consume less and we need to focus on our local area when it comes to shopping, production and jobs. We need to stop driving, flying and shipping stuff around so much. We need to remove the non-value creating parts of the economy, the ones that depend on cheap oil and environmental destruction.

Unfortunately that is not what we see happening. Instead people are desperate to keep up their life-style and they revert to shopping at Walmart instead. That is the wrong thing to do. These people are behaving like drug addicts who will settle for a cheaper fix, as long as they get some fix.

What we need to do is do away with chain stores like Walmart that destroy local economies and sell goods below cost. We need to replace them with smaller stores that pay fair wages and sell local goods, not trinkets shipped in from China. That would lead to a revival of local job opportunities and jobs that create real value instead of churning through excesses. We need to disable most of our financial institutions. These guys bring no value whatsoever. Apart from causing regular boom and bust cycles they make everyone poorer on a daily basis by charging fees while creating nothing of value.

We need to let of go of this crazy economic system that just shuttles wealth around instead of creating it.

sick economy

The IEA estimates that greenhouse gases will drop by more than 2% for 2009. About 3/4 of that drop is due to the recession. The anticipated fall is greater than any previously recorded. Something is clearly working when it comes to climate change. We can reduce our economic activity for example.

If the drop proves anything it is how sick our "economy" really is. How it is an economy of consumption and waste. And to think that some people would like to fix it. To what purpose? So we can make the planet uninhabitable sooner rather than later?

Don't get me wrong. Economic activity is good. Humans need a thriving economy. But it has to be an economy that creates long term value. And that is not something our present economy does. Quite to the contrary. We have an economy that is all about slash and burn. It is all about waste and consumption.

Now you may argue, so what it has served us well. But has it? Not unless you are one of the richest 1% in the country. Otherwise your net worth has most likely decreased rather significantly. You may not feel that way (yet) and the constant brain washing in the media will certainly try to make you think otherwise, but the facts are in. Everyone is constantly getting poorer while the richest of the rich get wealthier.

It has also not made you happier. Here too the facts are undeniable. More people than ever are depressed or suffer from stress. It is a stress imposed by trying to keep up with the consumer society. Trying to outdo the neighbors by buying new stuff and spending more money. Companies constantly try to get you to spend money you don't have. It is called credit. And if you indulge in it, it will enslave you forever. It is worse than heroin.

Our economy does two things really well: 1. it destroys our habitat and threatens our long term survival on the planet, and 2. it shifts wealth from the masses into the hands of a very select few. So select that you, the average American citizen, are not one of them. Not by a long shot. You are one of those being robbed blind and you may not even notice it.

So while you may hope for economic recovery because you need a job to pay your bills, you should think about what you are getting yourself into. Because you are not an innocent player. You, with your consumerist habits, are part and parcel of this economy. Your desire to always throw out things and buy new stuff is the "engine" of this economy. And it does not have to be that way! You can easily put a stop to it.

Begin by buying local. Only buy stuff that has value and will last. Get rid of your cars and do some exercise. Throw out your TV. The list of things you can do to help is endless. And guess what? Doing these things will create local jobs. Real jobs that have value because they are worthwhile. Think about that!

Cheap imported stuff is the problem, not the answer. Walmart is not the solution. Walmart is the problem. Walmart is a big machine that serves only one purpose. To make the Walton's richer. And it does so by ripping off the poor. Walmart can sell you stuff below cost, because it does not pay the full cost of what it buys. It does not pay for the waste and pollution it creates. And it uses cheap offshore (read slave) labor to create its widgets. But Walmart is not alone. It is just one of the many corporations that form the core of our sick economy.

rome

Ever thought the US is starting to resemble ancient Rome? Rome went from a democracy to a totalitarian empire. The same could very well happen here. And Rome's demise was followed by the infamous Middle Ages, something that is a distinct possibility for the upcoming century if not sooner. Only this time the event is more likely to be world-wide in scope rather than limited to the Western World.

In many ways the US is similar to Rome just before the empire. It dominates the world, it has gotten rid of its main competitor and it is ready for a Pax Americana. Granted the match is not one to one and there are some shifts in the time-line but the similarity is there.

The US is dangerously close to becoming a totalitarian empire. In some ways it is already there. I previously pointed out how real power is now in the hands of very few citizens. These super-rich effectively control our destiny. Sure we go and vote, but it matters very little how we vote and there are no more real choices left.

The legislature is becoming increasingly ineffective and superfluous. California is already pretty much ungovernable as many have pointed out, but even the US Congress is more often than not deadlocked until some rich guys come along and spread some money around to get what they want.

While it is true that the rich usually get their way, even in a democracy, never has so much power been concentrated in so few hands. It is only a matter of time before we formalize it into a dictatorship of sorts.

democracy?

We Americans like to go out and bring democracy to the world. But perhaps it would behoove us to look more closely to what is happening at home before we go out and try to help others. America of all countries is surely not a democracy.

Consider this: the top 1% in this country own more than the bottom 99% combined. If you think a democracy is possible in a country with such inequity, think again. Even if you -like most Americans- secretly dismiss the homeless and the poor, and believe the "true" inequities are much smaller, definitely think again.

More than anything, the so-called middle class, and that includes the upper middle class, are the true victims of this deplorable state of affairs. The middle class are the only ones who have enough money to feed this greed machine. Never mind the poor and the homeless. They literally don't own anything so they cannot be robbed.

The homeless and the poor may very well suffer, but they are not really counted when it comes to wealth. They simply don't count, not just in your secret dreams, but in everyday reality. They are not part of any statistic and nobody really knows who they are or how many of them exist.

When it is said the top 1% own more than the bottom 99%, then the bottom 99% means those people who are not part of the top 1% but are still counted because they have jobs, social security numbers, driver's licenses, jobs, homes, etc. It means the rest of us. The American consumer. The ones who can vote but somehow never seem to use their vote to protect their own rights.

Modern America is closer to a Vegas casino than you think. In its vast halls there are millions of people playing the losing game. They do so because they are led to believe they may one day be rich by playing the game join the rich. But in reality they are slowly but surely robbed of all possessions they have, and -as the recent credit crisis shows- then some.

And where are the top 1%? They are the ones running the casino. You never see them because they are hidden behind the scenes. All you ever see are their enforcers and their highly paid entertainers. In this world the entertainers are called president, senator, and representative. They are the ones that keep you hooked to the machines. And when their magic fails, there are always plenty enforcers to keep the peace.

cold shower

Showers are synonymous with fresh and clean. They are the hallmark of luxury living and all modern American homes have more at least 2 or 3. Showers are a consumerist pleasure driven by cheap water and cheap energy. They are pushed by soap and shampoo manufacturers and sold on fear. Yes fear, fear of being dirty and stinky. The worst kind of ostracism.

That is why no self-respecting American would dare to go without at least one shower a day. Showers are not only an enormous waste of drinking water but they also waste a fair amount of heating energy. Now it appears they are not good for you either. Rather than being fresh and clean, showers are a fertile breeding ground for molds, fungus, mycobacteria, and other micro-organisms. Despite a wealth of cleaning and scrubbing products, keeping your shower micro-organism free is an impossible task. At best you will end up breeding micro-organisms that are resistant to any and every chemical you throw at them, including bleach.

Daily showers are a fairly recent phenomenon. There is little evidence people fare better or are "cleaner" when they take shower, but there is a fair amount of evidence that hot showers are not so good for your health. To begin with, long hot showers, the kind most Americans cherish are responsible for a lot of skin ailments. Nothing dries out skin like a long hot shower and we could probably do away with 90% of the moisturizers, lotions, and skin care products we love if we just kept our showering to an absolute minimum.

Daily shampoos are even worse. They remove the beneficial oils that protect your hair and make it look good. The more you remove them, the harder your skin glands work to make more and the oilier your hair (and scalp and possibly face) becomes. Better to leave your hair alone and let it shine naturally. Cheaper too.

There is more. The micro-organisms that populate our showers aren't just lining the walls with visible or invisible films. They are everywhere and no place less visited than the ever wet and warm shower head. What better place to incubate bugs? Plastic shower heads with their many microscopic nooks and crannies are ideal for growing tons of bugs.

Furthermore, when you turn on that hot spray, you effectively vaporize and nebulize those bugs and make it so they quickly and effectively spread around the whole room. And there is more. When nebulized like that, the bugs can penetrate deep into your lungs. Fortunately for most people, these critters are not enough to make them sick, although we have to say that nobody has yet looked into asthma, chronic bronchitis (COPD) and other chronic lung ailments. Don't be surprised to read a few years from now that those refreshing clean showers are slowly destroying your lungs.

For those with compromised immune systems however, showers are a veritable death chamber. Even a cursory look in the literature results in tens of proven cases of lethal infections that could be traced to shower heads. And rest assured, those with compromised immune systems now number in the tens of thousands. If you are older, a heavy smoker, HIV infected, have severe lung allergies, are undergoing chemotherapy, or had a transplant, you are one of the unlucky souls who would do better to stay away from the in house death traps called showers.

There is an upside to this story. First, you won't get smelly if you don't shower. People lived happily for centuries without showers. Few people actually suffer from bad body odor. You certainly don't have to believe everything the soap industry tells you. And finally, here is another good reason to save water and energy and live longer and healthier.

health care reform

It looks as if Health Care Reform will die a slow death. That is to be expected when powerful for profit forces with ample media access stand to lose their lucrative honey pot. Health Care will forever be a problem in America because both parties stand in the way of meaningful reform.

First one would need to take the lawyers out of the picture. We need to end the malpractice lawsuits and the punitive damages. These things accomplish nothing and they cost each and everyone of us a fortune. They cost us in more ways than one. We are denied simple things because people are afraid of being sued, and we pay through the nose for other equally simple things because the liability insurance is so high. We have to fill out tons of paperwork and stand in long lines before we can participate in everyday routine activities.

Unfortunately, the lawyers are a major force in the Democratic party so don't expect anything here. And if the Republicans want to take on the lawyers, they only do so to enlarge the already excessive profit margins of the major players.

Second, we need price controls on drugs, and we need competition for private health insurers. Better would be to get rid of private insurance but that is another matter. Both of these groups are ardent Republican supporters so here is another impossible roadblock towards reform.

The problem is simply this: health care is so full of conflicts of interest that even without a profit motive, it is hard to ensure fairness and equity. If you add in profits, everything goes to hell. If your doctor stands to gain from procedures, he will perform more of them. If the drug company stands to gain from selling pills, they will sell them to everyone regardless of need.

It costs us and it costs us in many ways. We pay for it over and over again, not just directly, but also indirectly. And we get very little value in return. No American Health Plan comes even close to what Europeans take for granted.

Even the wealthy with unlimited access suffer as the profit incentives force them into unnecessary tests and procedures. And the liability issues make it so their doctors and providers practice defensive care (i.e. another incentive to do even more tests). No test or procedure comes free of risk and in most cases the cost benefit is simply not there.

Now you say, but isn't our long life expectancy proof that we have great healthcare?

Unfortunately longevity is not a good measure of success. Longevity correlates well with wealth because good food, clean water, good sewers and an ability to stay away from dangerous (job) situations promote longevity. Anything that brings you closer to a doctor or hospital on the other hand is likely to reduce your quality of life or artificially extend the duration of it in ways that are unsuited for a dog, let alone a human. Every Terry Schiavo does wonders for longevity statistics.

Apart from party politics, one other bipartisan hurdle remains: the moralists. A key benefit of medicine is pain relief. And not surprisingly, pain is grossly under-treated in this country. Not because we don't have good drugs, but because a handful of moralists feel it is imperative to prevent drug addiction. Heaven forbid that a terminal cancer patient should become addicted to morphine! For that simple reason we all have to suffer. And suffer we will, because modern medicine will make sure we don't die a quick death. Euthanasia is out of the question, even if one's condition is hopeless and one's suffering unending. How's that for first do no harm?