Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Economy
Related: About this forumAmerica: No Country for Old People
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/04/america-no-country-for-old-people.htmlYves here. Lambert long ago identified the solution that neoliberal answer to social safety nets: Go die. So if you get to be old, you must either be adequately well off or suffer the consequences of not having been mercenary or competitive enough.
Is there a human right to age in dignity? Some countries think so. Unfortunately, the United States isnt one of them.
The Organization of American States (OAS) recently adopted the first international convention on the human rights of older people (though the United States did not endorse it). The Organization of African Unity (OAU) is debating its own convention, and is expected to adopt it next year.
It is ironic that the worlds poorer countries, presumably those with the fewest resources to deal with aging, are in the vanguard of establishing this set of rights. Meanwhile, the richest countries with the most resources, including the United States and members of the European Union, are arguing against applying a human-rights framework to aging. In part, their contrarian stance reflects the dominance of market ideology. In a corporate economy, people lose their social importance and position when they are not working and producing value. In the United States, the resulting set of priorities has a devastating impact on older people.
While some countries are creating a new definition of human rights to include aging, and passing conventions that incorporate it, millions of seniors in the United States live in very vulnerable and precarious conditions, which are violations of their human rights as viewed in this context.
Is there a human right to age in dignity? Some countries think so. Unfortunately, the United States isnt one of them.
The Organization of American States (OAS) recently adopted the first international convention on the human rights of older people (though the United States did not endorse it). The Organization of African Unity (OAU) is debating its own convention, and is expected to adopt it next year.
It is ironic that the worlds poorer countries, presumably those with the fewest resources to deal with aging, are in the vanguard of establishing this set of rights. Meanwhile, the richest countries with the most resources, including the United States and members of the European Union, are arguing against applying a human-rights framework to aging. In part, their contrarian stance reflects the dominance of market ideology. In a corporate economy, people lose their social importance and position when they are not working and producing value. In the United States, the resulting set of priorities has a devastating impact on older people.
While some countries are creating a new definition of human rights to include aging, and passing conventions that incorporate it, millions of seniors in the United States live in very vulnerable and precarious conditions, which are violations of their human rights as viewed in this context.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 1107 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (9)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
America: No Country for Old People (Original Post)
antigop
Apr 2016
OP
The key thing about this issue is that it is only going to become more pressing in the future.
eastwestdem
Apr 2016
#1
eastwestdem
(1,220 posts)1. The key thing about this issue is that it is only going to become more pressing in the future.
Dealing with basic support and healthcare for seniors will have to take a big chunk of our state and federal budget if we want to have any sort of decent society. It does not pay to put this off, as the problem only becomes more expensive and harder to deal with the longer we wait.
westerebus
(2,976 posts)2. Work until you die.
There isn't much in the way of options given the disparity in wealth in this country.