[saymaListserv] Politics and Economics

[Janet Minshall]

Hi Julia,  That quote came from a man in SAYMA who wishes to remain 
anonymous.  I was responding to that and to the rest of his message. 
I noticed when I went back to respond to your message that the 
computer program had attributed his quote to me in one of those 
mysterious automatic processes that happen. One part of my message to 
the Kitenet list is quoted below and then his complete message is 
given:

 From Janet Minshall:

>(I believe the Bush Administration has cut the provision of abortion 
>services funded by the US but not the rate of contraceptive 
>distribution by US and European-funded providers around the world. 
> Maybe you or Stan can check that out.  And I agree completely with 
>your last sentence "Voluntary birth control is an essential 
>component of improved women's health and establishing a democratic 
>society for women as well as men").
>
 From a SAYMA Friend:

I wish that were so, but Bush's crowd appears to believe "just say 
no" is appropriate for married women in developing countries.  

>Re the rest of your message, "Slowing the rate of growth" is a long 
>way from actual decline, as Stan pointed out.  If there are actual 
>declines, it will almost certainly be due to the usual suspects. 
> And Europe during the Black Plague, as well as the US Native 
>American population decline, should certainly convince us that is 
>possible. Surprisingly, the remedy is probably better population 
>control, rather than relaxing.  I'd contact the Population Institute 
>in Washington if you want more information on that point.



 From Julia:
>Janet, could you tell us more about the economic policies and 
>political direction changes that we should be working toward as a 
>response to the immanent decline in European and United States 
>populations?
>

  More from Janet Minshall in response to your question, Julia:

The biggest changes necessary are ones which will resolve the 
struggle over how our elderly and disabled will be provided with the 
Social Security and Medicare services they and their parents paid in 
FICA taxes during their active working years.  Each successive 
congress in the past thirty years or so has taken the so called 
"surpluses" paid by workers and employers into the Soc.Security and 
Medicare funds and used the money for other things.  The result is 
that now there is not enough money to maintain those essential 
programs.  The funds that should be there for such services are 
nearly gone.  You will notice that the present administration is 
trying to limit the cost of Medicare in the guise of strengthening 
it. The same response can be expected from the Federal Government to 
the Medicaid Programs.  Up to now The Feds have funded the states to 
provide essential healthcare services to the poor. The threat is that 
funding from the Federal Government to the states will end and the 
states will no longer have the resources to fund Medicaid on their 
own.  Healthcare and nutrition programs for poor women and children, 
and early childhood education programs are likely to be ended for the 
same reason.

With a decrease in population, and a parallel decrease in tax 
revenues, the Feds and the States would no longer be able to maintain 
many of the services that we in the US, and those in Gr. Britain and 
Europe have had for the last fifty years or more. The Republican 
response seems to be to gradually defund these programs in advance so 
that when population begins to drop the poor, the elderly, the 
disabled and the children of working people will not expect such 
assistance. That will be the source of high mortality rates among 
those vulnerable groups.  Funds that could have been used to 
reinforce those necessary programs will be/have been spent on weapons 
and support of an increased military, an increase in spending on our 
security agencies, and in tax cuts for the wealthy.

Bush has started the process and unless we can get him out of the 
White House, it will continue.
				Janet Minshall








-- 
Janet's new e mail address is :  jhminshall at comcast.net
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