Economic policy as social policy = death
Suicide linked to new ACC rule
Sexual abuse counsellors say a new hard line by the Accident Compensation Corporation may have cost a woman's life. Dr Kim McGregor of Rape Prevention Education, who co-chairs a national network of services for sexual abuse victims, has given the Herald details of a case where a woman committed suicide after ACC told her it wanted a psychiatrist to review her need for counselling.
The last time economic policy was implemented as social policy was under Rodger Douglas, his love sonnet to Milton Friedman ended up seeing the suicide rates triple (it’s always so funny how we bitch about NZ having one of the highest suicide rates in the OECD, yet never examine where and when that trend started – Lord knows the establishment wouldn’t want to tie right wing policy to suicide rates).
So here we are again with another Government implementing economic policy as social policy, KNOWING that when they make cut backs it’s not just money, its also human lives that get slashed, literally. During a recession and the social fragmentation it causes the vulnerable are always the first casualty (alongside National voters indignation at having to pay any tax in the first place). We know the social cost of these cuts, we can’t pretend it doesn’t lead to suicide and here we have rape victims and the sexually abused having to now jump through hoops to be ‘assessed’ by a person put there specifically to deny access to counselling.
How nasty and ugly.
posted by Bomber @ 7:12 am
3 comments
3 Comments:
The human condition embraces many different ways of seeing the world. Some think only of themselves and perhaps their most immediate family. They are the "me" people. They have a limited sense (to varying degrees, of course) of community and have trouble getting their heads around "sharing". These people, as a tendency, would vote for the parties embodying individualistic views and values.
At the other end of the scale are the "we" people who define themselves by their communities in a wider sense, ranging right up to encompassing the global and the entire human family. They may exhibit an exaggerated sense of connectedness to people whom they do not know, in places they have never seen or been. They, as a tendency, would support parties that embody communal values.
Cross-overs occur at all levels. The local club or church. The local council or committee. The province or state or country.
New Zealand is currently governmed by the "me" people....and they may accept their policies do lead to the death of others. But the decision to kill oneself is not one they "own", so they have no moral issues with their policies or their consequences.
They don't care.
This is the human condition, I guess. It won't change, though the components will shift from one end of the spectrum to the other over time as events require changes in outlook and behaviours.
But I, personally, don't think much of people who exhibit a lack of caring that allows them to advance policies they know will see others die avoidable deaths.
"So here we are again with another Government implementing economic policy as social policy, KNOWING that when they make cut backs it’s not just money, its also human lives that get slashed, literally."
What cutbacks are these? Suburbanites finding they have to pay the full cost of their moroccan cooking classes instead of being subsidised by Samoan cleaners making $12.50 an hour. Don't make me laugh.
Anon why don't you actually read the article? Bomber makes it perfectly clear to anyone with half a brain what cutbacks he's talking about.
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