Actually the only point I was trying to make is that there are alternatives to traditional western medicine, and that a little knowledge can go a long way in keeping a person healthy. There are other ways of treating illnesses and injuries than running off to a hospital. I think alot of people set that bar you're talking about higher than they need to simply because they were never taught many of the basic skills needed to treat things themselves and have become dependant on doctors and hospitals for everything.
There is quite alot, healthcare wise, that people can do themselves if they take the time to study and practice. They don't have to rely on doctors and hospitals, which charge exorbitant sums of money, for everything. Western medicine has it's place, but it's not the only game in town. Almost 50% of the pharmaceuticals on the market today are derived from herbs and plant sources. 200 years ago, almost every home had an herb garden that people would use for treating common illnesses and injuries. Those remedies still work, and are accessable to everyone who's willing to water a few plants and do a little research at their local library.
The way I see it, that lowers the accessability bar to it's lowest point in that everyone potentially can do this if they choose to. In some cases, you don't even have to grow the plants yourself. Many of them are growing wild in parks and national forests, or planted as ornamentals on city streets (although plants growing along roadsides are not my favorite since they tend absorb car exhaust).
I agree that as a society the barriers to a fruitful and enjoyable life should be kept to a minimum. But I think that the responsebility for that rests with "We The People" doing everything we can, not with the Government. If we are constantly waiting someone else to improve out lives for us, it will never happen. We must make the choice to work for something better and then take action. My opinion for that in the realm of healthcare is that that begins with learning how to treat yourself for alot of the minor ailments and injuries, and only relying on a physician for a major problem that is beyond one's means to deal with. But each person has to decide where that dividing line is for themselves. If they find that they are going to a clinic or doctor for things that their friends are treating themselves, then maybe it's time they learned what their friends know.
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2009-09-03 07:30 pm (UTC)There is quite alot, healthcare wise, that people can do themselves if they take the time to study and practice. They don't have to rely on doctors and hospitals, which charge exorbitant sums of money, for everything. Western medicine has it's place, but it's not the only game in town. Almost 50% of the pharmaceuticals on the market today are derived from herbs and plant sources. 200 years ago, almost every home had an herb garden that people would use for treating common illnesses and injuries. Those remedies still work, and are accessable to everyone who's willing to water a few plants and do a little research at their local library.
The way I see it, that lowers the accessability bar to it's lowest point in that everyone potentially can do this if they choose to. In some cases, you don't even have to grow the plants yourself. Many of them are growing wild in parks and national forests, or planted as ornamentals on city streets (although plants growing along roadsides are not my favorite since they tend absorb car exhaust).
I agree that as a society the barriers to a fruitful and enjoyable life should be kept to a minimum. But I think that the responsebility for that rests with "We The People" doing everything we can, not with the Government. If we are constantly waiting someone else to improve out lives for us, it will never happen. We must make the choice to work for something better and then take action. My opinion for that in the realm of healthcare is that that begins with learning how to treat yourself for alot of the minor ailments and injuries, and only relying on a physician for a major problem that is beyond one's means to deal with. But each person has to decide where that dividing line is for themselves. If they find that they are going to a clinic or doctor for things that their friends are treating themselves, then maybe it's time they learned what their friends know.