#no lifelong pensions

[unproduciblesmackdown]

asia kate dillon as albert cashier in good men wanted at powerhouse theater in 2017

[maykitz]

>be 84-year old lifelong devoted nazi grandpa from vienna >bored of enjoying my remaining years in my safe home with my family on my comfortable pension >decide to vacation in afghanistan to prove the country is now "safe" thanks to taliban rule so all refugees must be sent back >instantly arrested by taliban >held in a cell without a bed, daylight, sanitation and medication since june >facing death penalty for alleged espionage

[kp777]

By Julia Conley

Common Dreams

Sept. 25, 2024

New polling suggests that "a willingness to take on millionaires, billionaires, and the politicians who serve them plays well everywhere," said one columnist.

Dan Osborn, a mechanic and union leader running to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer in Nebraska, told an Omaha news station on Tuesday that recent polling showing a highly competitive race didn't come as a surprise to him.

"It's what I'm seeing on the ground," he toldKETV of a Survey USA poll showing 45% of respondents supporting him, compared with 44% backing Fischer. "People, I think, are ready for a change."

Osborn describes himself as a "lifelong Independent," and has not sought or accepted endorsements from either major political party.

He does have the backing of the United Auto Workers, which said in June, "It's time for labor to get behind candidates who look like us, talk like us, and know the issues facing working-class people."

Osborn began working as an industrial mechanic for a Kellogg's plant in 2004, and eventually rose to the presidency of his union local, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 50G.

In that role in 2021, he led 500 of his co-workers at the cereal plant in a work stoppage that lasted 77 days, with workers protesting a two-tier hiring system that left new employees with lower pay and no pensions and demanding fair working schedules and pay.

The strike forced the company to agree to cost-of-living raises, no plant closures through 2026, and no permanent two-tier system.

"I've gone up against a major American corporation," Osborn toldThe New York Times in February. "I stood up for what I thought was right, and I won."

The Fischer campaign and its supporters have taken notice of the senator's opponent as multiple polls have shown the two candidates neck-and-neck. Last month, Fischer was up by just one point, with 23% undecided.

Conservative super political action committee Heartland Resurgence has spent $479,000 in a new ad campaign opposing Osborn, repeating the same false claims about his support for abortion care as those Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made at his debate against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month: that Osborn "supports abortion until the moment of birth."

Osborn told the independent rural news outlet Barn Raiser in March that he believes "a woman's decision on whether or not to have an abortion is between her and her doctor, it's not the federal government's place to dictate those things to people. Deb Fischer believes in a complete abortion ban. I strongly disagree with that position."

In an ad released this week, Osborn is seen next to a stand-in for Fischer, who wears a blazer decorated with the logos of some of her major corporate donors: Northrop Grumman, which has given her $64,827 over her career; Union Pacific Corp., which has donated $141,651; and Goldman Sachs, which has donated $18,200 this election cycle.

Osborn says in the ad that the Senate is made up of "millionaires controlled by billionaires."

"Deb Fischer is part of the problem," he says. "She's taken so much corporate cash she should wear patches."

Columnist John Nichols said the latest poll numbers in Nebraska suggest "that a willingness to take on millionaires, billionaires, and the politicians who serve them plays well everywhere."

Pro-worker media organization More Perfect Union pointed to earlier polling in July that showed Osborn and Fischer tied 42-42.

"Fifty-seven percent of the state's GOP voters say they're open to voting for an Independent," the outlet reported. "Osborn, a long-time union worker, could kick a Republican out of the Senate."

[rideboomcabs]

RideBoom Taxi Driver Making Money RideBoom Driver App

What is RideBoom Driver App? RideBoom is a unique ride-share app where a driver can make money without driving a car or bike. Each ride boom driver will get a unique driver code on sign up and he needs to share this code with customers. To know more about these lifelong incentives contact ride boom today. राइड बूम एक अनोखा राइड-शेयर ऐप है जहां एक ड्राइवर बिना कार या बाइक चलाए पैसे कमा सकता है। प्रत्येक राइड बूम ड्राइवर को साइन अप करने पर एक अद्वितीय ड्राइवर कोड मिलेगा और उसे यह कोड ग्राहकों के साथ साझा करना होगा। इस जीवन भर के प्रोत्साहन के बारे में अधिक जानने के लिए आज ही राइड बूम से संपर्क करें. What is the driver code and the benefit of driver code? Driver code is the key for extra earning and secures your future. Through RideBoom you become connected to millions of customers who can book your services with the touch of a button on their smartphone. Due to the vast network of clients, you will be in great demand around the clock. The most important and rewarding feature of RideBoom is our unique referral Scheme. To get the full benefits you need to recommend to your new and existing Customers and Drivers to download RideBoom App and enter your Driver Code in the ‘preferred driver’ section of the RideBoom rider app at the time of registration. You can forward your driver code by text, email, what’s an app or any other communication method to as many riders as you like. But you can’t do this with RideBoom owned riders. As they do so you will instantly become the preferred driver for these customers and drivers and they become permanently attached to you in our system. When your attached Customers use RideBoom anywhere in the world, you will earn incentives even when you not drive you will earn. This allows you to work locally while earning globally! So, as you drive, and even if you take a holiday or decide to hang up the boots, your attached customers and drivers will continue to generate income for you in the long term. NO MORE EMPTY MILES Your days of driving mile after mile in search of customers are now over. By using RideBoom, customers locate you easily and book your services. You save time, fuel, and cost, and get bookings instantly. MORE BUSINESS RideBoom helps you to connect with thousands of customers. At all times you are connected to many potential passengers who can book your services. More customers mean more income. RideBoom helps you to multiply your earnings. You earn while relaxing as well Be smart like how many riders you pick up every day if they start download app with your driver code you going to have many regular permanent riders. RideBoom – Your Destination to Financial Independence How many times have you wanted to quit your 9 to 5 job in pursuit of financial independence? Well, it is time you have it by signing up to RideBoom as a driver and secure your future by having Driver Incentives. What is RideBoom, anyway, and why join it? RideBoom is a peer-to-peer taxi/delivery/ride-sharing company. This might lead you into thinking that it is much like other rideshare apps. Here’s the thing: In some respects, it is for sure just like another app, but since it has been launched later, RideBoom has some dazzling features that the former lacks. Even, we have managed to eliminate some of the glitches that have been haunting others. So, summing up everything in a sentence, RideBoom is less of a gimmick and more of a personal business opportunity for drivers like you. Let us see how. Secure Future We talked about this at the start. It can be thought that owning your own business cannot secure your business in a better way as there are no pensions and no incentives for the latter life. That might be true for some, but as we’ve created a pure system of incentives, we offer you an opportunity to save more for the latter endeavors. This is particularly what makes us stand out and help people like you grow. How does that happen? Our system allows you to be your own boss, manage your business like a pro, and be self-reliant. When you start doing that, you start earning more, and in the long run, you save more. Due to the freedom we’ve allowed, our drivers are reaping undeniable fruits. And once you join them, you’d be a part of our community and you’d, too, see your life being transformed from the ground up. Driver Incentives So many P2P ride-sharing companies out there advertise themselves on the basis of their driver incentives. Because this may help them achieve greater exposure. However, in the long run, what happens is that all of those claims turn out to be nothing, but a time trap. Your incentives are delayed, and sometimes you’re asked to fulfill certain impossible tasks to receive them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uOTx7GjJRA #rideboom #rideboomapp #book cabs online #book biketaxi #booktaxionline #cabservice #cabsnearme #cabsinindia #rideshare #bike ride #taxi #besttaxiservice #taxi service #rideboomtaxiapp #delhirideboom #rideboomindia

[city-of-ladies]

Hersend (fl. 1249-1259) was a physician known for accompanying King Louis IX of France on the Seventh Crusade.

A skilled and trusted doctor

The document mentioning Hersend calls her magistra (the feminine form of magister, "master" or "teacher" in Latin), which could mean that she was university educated. This would be surprising since women technically couldn't attend universities at that time. 

Hersend was a valued member of the royal household. A royal act dating from August 1250 promises her a lifelong pension of twelve Parisians deniers a day. Even if it can’t be known if she was the king’s personal physician, she likely took care of him during the expedition. Since Queen Margaret of Provence gave birth in 1250, Hersend could also have acted as a midwife. 

Going back home 

Hersend survived the dangers of the crusade (which saw the king captured and ransomed). She returned to Paris at the end of 1250, married an apothecary named Jacques and continued practice her profession. They bought a house together in 1259. Hersend was likely dead by 1299 and her house was bought by lady Pétronille, apothecary to the King of France.

Further reading:

"Hersende" - Les guerriers du Moyen-Âge

Kostick Conor, The Crusades and the Near East - Cultural histories

Le Goff Jacques, Saint Louis

Whaley L., Women and the Practice of Medical Care in Early Modern Europe, 1400-1800

[thedenofravenpuff]

To Be Kind to Yourself - Fibromyalgia

Suddenly hit by a random memory from my journey of dealing with fibromyalgia. For once not about my still burning rage against my old GP. Giving me the urge to share some about my past journey.

Long talk about chronic illness

Freshly diagnosed but already struggling with the symptoms of my chronic illness getting worse, I was desperately clinging onto any hope to keep working. I didn't want to lose the familiarity, the career I had worked so hard for.

I was placed with kind and caring consultants and advisors to help guide me through a life with chronic pain, while agreeing that if they could keep me in the work force, it was best for everyone.

At the time they didn't fully understand how much I was hiding my pain. Sure I pushed through the medical system to get a diagnosis for what I was suffering from, but I also had another very dire issue - A late in life autism diagnosis and a lifetime of masking to be "acceptable" and "fit in".

My consultant helping me to adjust my work place to better accommodate my needs, only ever talked about the issues of my physical pain. I did listen that far, but sadly... since she focused on the issue of pain, even though I talked about my fatigue.. that I decided the pain was more important to worry about than my issues with fatigue.

So I pushed myself through the fatigue. I forced myself to move when my body refused. I limped, I shook, I trembled, I cried in the bathroom stall. And only reported when the fatigued was pushed so far the chronic pain truly kicked in. Which only caused more and longer sickdays.

I was on part time sickleave, and stupidly pushed myself to "make up for most time". I misunderstood my consultant's intentions being the focus on work, and not a focus on my well being.

Not until I broke down during a meeting with my advisor who called in my consultant so they together could sit me down and figure out where the communication broke down.

Where they could finally explain to me it WASN'T about keeping me working, it was about keeping me HAPPY and HEALTHY. Clearly I loved my job and clung to it, so their intentions had only been to help me keep something that was obviously important to me. But NOT at the cost of my health and well being.

And I was coached through to better word the issues and my own misunderstandings from THEIR misunderstandings. My consultant immediately changing her language about chronic illness to not just be about the pain, but inclusive of the many other symptoms too.

My advisor became my therapist, as they both agreed on putting me on full time sickleave, to give my body time to recover while working on my own understanding of my condition. And help me bit by bit unmask. Being sick and masking was just not a healthy combination. I had to be open about my symptoms and my changing health.

It was a battle on its own. I was still stubborn to get back to work, once I was deemed healthy enough. I had to learn a lot about myself and my own limitations, and why I was so eager to people please, to "earn" a "right to exist", to take up as little space as possible.

To this day I feel nothing but gratitude for these amazing women working their hardest to help me understand, that I cannot "walk it off" when suffering from a lifelong condition. That I'll HAVE to adapt to take up more space than I ever dared to allow myself.

I hated the thought of being a burden. Instead I learned.. all people in my life never saw me as one. And they all only want to help me where ever they can. All I have to do is reach out and ask. I don't need to "earn" anything. Least of all kindness.

Just a memory and part of my journey I felt an urge to share. I guess a reminder to myself how far I've come. To be able to remove the mask I've carried all my life and allow myself to be honest to others. And kind towards myself.

Today I'm on disability pension, a hard blow to my pride considering my battle to stay working. But I had to understand, my body cannot keep up. And I got nothing to prove.

Despite all the fears.. it turned out alright.

My life is still meaningful. Better in plenty of ways. Would I rather be working and free from my illness? Oh definitely, absolutely. But it doesn't mean the life I'm stuck with isn't worth living.

I wasn't the only one struggling to get me here. I had kind people to help and support me the whole way. I can never hope to repay them or truly show my gratitude for the effort put into helping me on my way.

Except for one thing, that I know they would want.

That I stay kind to myself.

[southeastasianists]

In 2023, a significant demographic milestone emerged with broad social and economic impacts: the global population of adults aged 50 surpassed the number of children under 15 for the first time. Brunei Darussalam, a small, oil-rich Islamic country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, faces challenges associated with this shift. Ranked as one of the world’s wealthiest nations due to its vast oil and gas reserves, Brunei’s population of 455,858 sees a contrast with a poverty rate of 5%, positioning it 11th out of 78 countries.

Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), highlighted the profound economic impact of the aging global population, noting the substantial expenditures on health care, research and support services. Furthermore, Hajah pointed out the rapid growth of the aging population and its broad implications. During Brunei’s chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2021, Johari emphasized Brunei’s leadership in endorsing the ASEAN Comprehensive Framework on Care Economy.

Additionally, in 2017, an action plan spanning five years was adopted to enhance elderly development, welfare and protection, aiming to create a senior-friendly support system and reduce elderly poverty in Brunei. Unfortunately, an aging demographic compounded by an ominous surge in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes challenges Brunei’s socio-economic development.

Addressing Poverty and Social Protection in Brunei

Bruneians who live in poverty prefer to use the phrasings “living in need” and “difficult life” over “poverty” and “poor.” This exchange of phrasings intends to protect an individual’s self-confidence and self-esteem. Yet this preference challenges officials’ attempts to accurately assess the severity of poverty and implement targeted interventions.

However, Brunei’s social protection schemes encounter challenges. These challenges include limited coverage, differential treatment between public and private sectors, exclusion of unemployed individuals and inadequate support for vulnerable groups such as divorcees, widows/widowers, single parents, orphans, the abused and disabled people.

The Dual Impact of an Ageing Society

Across developing countries, evidence showcases the productivity, creativity, vitality and participation of older adults in workplaces, communities, households and families. According to ageInternational, some of the pros of an aging society include:

Consumer Market: Older adults can create new opportunities in the consumer market with higher disposable incomes and specific needs that can drive economic growth.

Accumulated Knowledge: An aging population can possess a wealth of knowledge and experience, beneficial for education and mentorship.

Stable Workforce: Older individuals provide greater stability in employment as they switch jobs less frequently.

In addition, the aging population significantly impacts the labor market. The dependency ratio, which compares the number of economically inactive individuals to those who are economically active, is set to increase. According to the International Labour Organization, some of the cons of an aging society include:

Labor Shortages: Addressing the need to create jobs for young individuals and encourage lifelong learning for older individuals to acquire new skills.

Pension and Retirement Challenges: Ensuring adequate pensions and financial support for retirees.

Limited Social Support Systems: Establishing social support systems, including affordable housing and accessible transportation, to enhance the quality of life.

Health care Costs: Investing in health care infrastructure to meet the growing needs of an aging population and prioritizing preventive health care measures.

Brunei at a Demographic Crossroads

As Brunei Darussalam navigates through its complex demographic and health landscape, proactive and holistic measures become imperative for securing the future prosperity of its people. Moreover, by addressing the multifaceted challenges head-on, Brunei is poised to set a precedent for demographic resilience and health sustainability.

Above all, the nation’s commitment to comprehensive solutions promises not only to enhance the well-being of its aging population and reduce elderly poverty in Brunei but also to pave the way for long-term national growth. At this pivotal juncture, Brunei’s journey offers valuable insights into the power of foresight and action in shaping a thriving society.

– Pamela Fenton

[nyiibat2]

Comparing Presidential candidates: Jill Stein Green Party

Jill Stein: Green party candidate

Quote “I'm running for president with the Green Party to offer a choice for the people outside the failed two-party system. We'll put a pro-worker, anti-war, climate action agenda front and center in this election and on the ballot in November.” And quote.

Jill Stein has been very vocal in her fight for a better economical, political, and climate future. A future of America where people can say they’re proud to be American citizens. Her social media presence has catapulted her into the race.

Jill Stein is a Harvard-educated doctor, a pioneering environmental health advocate, and an organizer for people, planet, and peace. She has helped lead initiatives to fight environmental racism, injustice, and pollution, to promote healthy communities, and to revitalize democracy. She has helped win victories in campaign finance reform, racially-just redistricting, and the clean-up of incinerators, coal plants, and other toxic threats. She was a principal organizer for the Global Climate Convergence for People, Planet, and Peace over Profit. {Source; About Jill section jillstein2024.com}

Jill’s policies for her 2024 campaign include; PEOPLE'S ECONOMY;

A Jill Stein administration will:

Guarantee lifelong free public education for all institutions of learning, including trade schools and Pre-K through college and graduate school

Abolish all student debt for 43 million encumbered Americans

Increase and equalize public school funding

End the privatization of public schools

Guarantee free childcare

Reduce taxes on incomes below the real median income of $75,000 per household

Strengthen Social Security - remove the artificial cap on the Social Security tax for the wealthy, and apply the Social Security payroll tax to all income, including capital gains and dividends.

Remove loopholes that allow foundations to hide wealth from taxation

Institute strongly progressive taxation for incomes and wealth, and increase the estate tax

Guarantee affordable, efficient utilities through a transition of all utilities to public not-for-profit ownership

Free high-speed internet across the U.S. with rural broadband via fiber optics

Put “too big to fail” banks into public ownership as public utilities (currently the four largest banks which own 25% of all banking assets)

Create nonprofit public state and local banking

Implement postal banking

Replace corporate trade agreements with global fair trade agreements

Prohibit finance capital from buying up single-family homes and rental housing stock

Ban corporate stock buybacks

Break up monopolies in big tech and elsewhere

Tax the ultra-wealthy and giant corporations heavily

LABOR;

A Jill Stein administration will:

Pass a $25 minimum wage, indexed to cost inflation and productivity growth, whichever is higher, with special consideration for geographic locations where cost of living greatly exceeds other areas

Guaranteed Livable Income above poverty

Guarantee housing as a human right

Implement universal rent control

Increase federal support for worker-owned cooperatives

Expand and defend workers’ right to unionize to include domestic, agricultural, and so-called “gig” workers

Ensure worker representation on corporate boards (co-determination) at 50%

Give voting rights in pension funds to the workers

Repeal the Taft-Hartley Act and end the "right-to-work for less" laws

Federalize workers' compensation to standardize and ensure full funding for worker’s comp

Close the pay gap and end wage discrimination based on race, gender, or other factors

Pass a Federal jobs guarantee to end unemployment

Pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights

Pass the Wage Theft Prevention and Recovery Act

End the Landrum-Griffin Act restrictions that bar unions from hiring some formerly incarcerated people

Eliminate the sub-minimum wage loophole in the Fair Labor Standards Act

Create a National Solidarity Fund, funded by a one cent ($0.01) per worker-hour tax, paying stipends to workers who are striking or locked out

Encourage Sectoral bargaining through the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Utilize civil asset forfeiture against companies guilty of violating workers’ protections (standards to be determined)

Federally mandate and fund three weeks of paid sick leave, eight weeks of paid vacation per year, and one-year parental leave for all new parents.

Ban “at-will“ employment by requiring just cause to terminate employment.

Unionize all federal employees

Commit to veto any legislation that breaks strikes

HOUSING

A Jill Stein administration will:

End homelessness and housing insecurity with a Homes Guarantee

Nationally adopt “Housing First” practices

Fund social housing as part of the Real Green New Deal to build at least 15 million green, union-built, publicly-owned homes over the next 10 years

Support a Universal Tenant's Bill of Rights

Direct the Department of Labor to assist with the establishment of a National Tenants Union

Implement universal rent control and a prohibition on excessive rental deposits

Eliminate credit checks from rental applications

Impose taxes on unoccupied homes (vacancy tax) and investment rental “homestay” properties to curb speculation

Expand House Choice Initiatives, and provide full funding to all existing project-based rental assistance contracts

Repeal the Faircloth Amendment so that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can build public housing again

Prohibit predatory lending, require clearly listed mortgage costs and risks, and no fine print

Expand HUD and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Programs for first-time home buyers, with down-payment assistance, direct guaranteed loans, and pre-purchase housing counseling

Reinvigorate federal housing programs that build publicly-owned housing for families, for the elderly, and for people with disabilities

Expand and protect the homeowner mortgage interest benefit, and eliminate the “second home” and “yacht” loopholes

HEALTHCARE

A Jill Stein administration will:

Immediately implement National Improved Medicare for All as a precursor to establishing a UK-style National Healthcare Service which will replace private hospital, private medical practice, and private medical insurance with a publicly-owned, democratically controlled healthcare service that will guarantee healthcare as a human right to everyone in the United States

Cancel all medical debt

Advance reproductive rights and codify Roe v. Wade

Ensure the U.S. healthcare system operates with full protection, respect and inclusion of human rights for all, including women and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, Black, Indigenous, and people of color

Restore public trust in the government’s medical agencies and institutions by enforcing audits, transparency and oversight in their internal processes

Restore confidence in the FDA, CDC and other regulatory boards by 1) closing the revolving door between corporations and regulatory boards and 2) getting corrupting big money out of politics by adopting public financing of elections.

Expand public funding - and phase out private/corporate funding - of medical and pharmaceutical research, conducted in public health agencies, public universities and medical schools

Ban patents where the research and development has been paid for by taxpayers via public colleges, the NIH, the CDC and other governmental entities

Restore funding to all medical governmental agencies including Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Take the pharmaceutical industry into public ownership and democratic control. Big pharma has failed to serve the public interest in an industry awash in private profit as it gouged consumers with monopolistic pricing in a business model centered on addictive opioids and patent-protected medicines. It’s time to ensure the production of life-saving medicines that millions rely on with their production as public goods.

Eliminate healthcare inequities and gaps in all disadvantaged communities by investing in local clinics and community hospitals

Establish a Federal Community Care Agency to provide community-based support, long-term in-home and in-community care, and visitation care to seniors and to people with disabilities

Ensure fair compensation for home caregivers

Guarantee long-term care for all patients in their home and community.

Prohibit the keeping of people’s possessions by assisted living facilities after death

Eliminate Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) and other burdensome and discriminatory compliance requirements and enact protections against healthcare surveillance

Offer responsible and transparent end-of-life care to those who want it

Respect bodily autonomy and personal freedom and choice in medical treatments, including the right to dignified assisted death

Fund and support research and development of treatment for rare diseases

Federal legalization and funding of cannabis medicinal research

Launch an urgent national program to rebuild the U.S. epidemic/pandemic response

Review and update the 2006 Pandemic Preparedness Act (last updated prior to COVID in 2019) to ensure U.S. pandemic preparedness is fully funded.

Ban private investment in CDC healthcare projects in order to restore public trust

Strengthen the infrastructure for accelerated emergency distribution of information, medications, vaccines, and treatments

Fund and provide high-quality personal protective equipment such as N-95 type masks and all diagnostic testing (including viral load testing) free at local pharmacies

Mandate and provide funding for high-quality air filtration code improvements for all public transportation, public buildings, schools and businesses

Restore OSHA-supported airborne protections for healthcare workers

Establish policies that will eliminate SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools, healthcare facilities, and on public transportation

Further study the Novavax protein-based COVID-19 vaccine to determine safety and efficacy for children under 12; remove restrictions if findings allow

Address Long COVID

COVID-19 likely increased the disabled population in the United States by over 1.2 million persons just from 2020 to 2021. As of August 2022, some 16 million Americans were affected by long Covid, with 2 to 4 million out of work due to the condition. Long Covid causes both cognitive and physical impairments and can develop after the initial illness, with each subsequent infection increasing the risk of developing it.

Ensure those affected by long Covid are protected in their workplace, and their needs for housing, healthcare, and economic security are met

Fully fund research into the causes, prevention and treatment of long COVID

DEMOCRACY

A Jill Stein administration will:

Replace the exclusionary two-corporate-party system with an inclusive multi-party democracy through ranked-choice voting and proportional representation

Implement Ranked-Choice Voting for all elections nationwide

Implement proportional representation for all legislative elections

Work to overturn Citizens United and Buckley v. Valeo and abolish corporate personhood by Constitutional Amendment

Institute full public financing of elections. Get the corrupting influence of private money out of politics and put the people back in.

Abolish the Electoral College, and elect the president via national popular vote using ranked-choice voting

Support a modern Voting Rights Act, including non-partisan redistricting commissions and same-day voter registration nationwide

Restore the Preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act

Ensure a Constitutional right to vote and restore voting rights to all felons

Pass Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) nationwide

Make Election Day a federal holiday

Expand polling locations and make free vote-by-mail an option for all elections, and expand polling locations

End all discriminatory voting laws and the purging of voting rolls; repeal Shelby County v Holder

Allow those who are under supervision or incarcerated to vote in elections, and be counted in the districts they resided in before incarceration

Eliminate gerrymandering by enacting proportional representation

Repeal discriminatory, anti-democratic ballot access restrictions designed by the establishment parties to suppress competition

Expand initiative, referendum, and recall powers to every state and nationally

Ensure open debates on public channels including all ballot-qualified candidates

Provide free public airtime for all ballot-qualified candidates

Oppose censorship by both the government and big tech corporations, and defend press freedom by applying antitrust laws to media conglomerates

Expand Freedom of Information laws and whistleblower protections

Protect the free Internet and net neutrality

Safeguard election integrity with hand-counted paper ballots and routine post-election audits

Lower the voting age to 16

Grant immediate statehood for the District of Columbia

Ensure self-determination for Puerto Rico and other colonial territories still under US rule

Replace partisan oversight of elections and the presidential debates with independent, non-partisan election commissions

Increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 9 to 18, with 18-year term limits staggered so that one seat opens per year

Require a supermajority of ⅔ of the Supreme Court for judicial review of federal laws

Enact a binding code of ethics for all judges, including Supreme Court justices

Prohibit lobbying of any kind by former members of Congress.

Ban stock trading by legislators

Ban government contractors from donating to political campaigns

Prohibit Congress from giving themselves any benefits they do not give to the people

Support and fund participatory budgeting projects to engage the public in policy decisions

Create a Federal Department of Equity to ensure that design and implementation of all policies (including climate policies) are equitable, as opposed to the historic victimization of poorer and marginalized communities.

PRISONS AND POLICING; “We call the United States the “land of the free” but we have the highest incarceration rate of any country in the world, with over 2.3 million people in federal, state, and local prisons and jails. Instead of addressing root causes of inequality and injustice, today’s systems of policing, prisons, and criminal justice have been designed by the Wall Street parties and their wealthy elite backers to enforce a socioeconomic hierarchy that is systemically racist and classist.”

A Jill Stein administration will:

Ban private prisons and detention centers.

Abolish the Death Penalty.

End mass incarceration and build a system centered on restorative justice.

Fully legalize cannabis for recreational and medicinal use with similar restrictions to alcohol.

Release nonviolent drug offenders from prison, remove drug offenses from records, and guarantee both pre- and post-release support

Ensure drug treatment on demand

Begin the process of legalizing hallucinogens (LSD, psilocybin and other related substances) and fund studies on their medicinal benefits.

Begin the process of decriminalizing personal possession of hard drugs - treat drug misuse as a health problem, not a criminal problem

Increase the number of public defenders and ensure a reasonable caseload and good pay

Ban mandatory minimum sentencing and ‘three strikes’ laws.

Abolish unpaid and underpaid prison labor

Mandate and enforce higher standards for living conditions in prisons

Establish community control of police with oversight boards empowered to audit police departments, issue subpoenas, remove officers, and block rehiring of offending officers

End cash bail, fines and fees that disproportionately impact poor and working class people.

Eliminate all ‘Cop City’- type police training facilities that militarize policing and teach dangerous and abusive policing practices.

End qualified immunity for police and prosecutorial immunity.

Federalize all police misconduct investigations.

Fund state and national police misconduct data collections systems.

End the militarization of police (end the 1033 program).

End training of US police on occupation-style policing by Israeli Defense Forces.

End Civil Asset Forfeiture for private citizens

Ensure the funding of community-based youth programs as a deterrent to both petty and violent crime and to reduce interactions with police.

Investigate and prosecute sexual violence, kidnapping, and human trafficking

Fight corporate white-collar crime with resources proportional to its economic impact

End warrantless mass surveillance

Pardon whistleblowers and political prisoners

End the epidemic of gun violence with common-sense gun safety laws:

Ban the sale of assault rifles and establish a buyback program

Establish mandatory waiting periods and background checks for firearm purchases

Pass red flag laws for individuals who pose a danger to themselves and others

Create standardized digital records of gun registrations and sales

Close gun show loopholes

Require firearm owners to own a high-quality gun safe to store their firearms

Require firearm owners to purchase liability insurance of no less than $1,000,000

Hold adult firearm owners criminally liable for minor children accessing firearms and using them in the commission of any crime or accidental injury or death

TRIBAL/INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY

A Jill Stein Administration will:

Honor all existing treaties with Indigenous nations

Ensure free, prior, and informed consent for any and all activity on tribal sovereign land

Establish a federal Land Back Commission

Create a task force of Tribal nations leaders to assess their needs for infrastructure, resources, education and economic development

Support a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a reparations plan to address Indigenous people’s economic dispossession

Amend the federal regulations to streamline the recognition process of Tribal Nations, Native Hawaiian Nation and other Pacific and Caribbean Islanders

Increase appointments to Tribal liaison positions, boards and commissions to ensure representation on all policies impacting Tribal Nations

Enforce the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People to require tribal consent for granting construction permits on treaty lands, waterways, and usual and accustomed areas

Prohibit all activities on sovereign territories without Free, Prior, and Informed Consent

Defend Tribal rights to regulate and manage their environment’s natural resources

Mandate all property tax revenues from tribal (reservation) lands be shared with the tribes

Remove policies and practices that create barriers in upholding Native voting rights at all levels of government

Protect Native religious freedoms

Declare the second Monday in October as the Federal holiday “Indigenous Peoples Day”

Fund the Indian Health Service and establish at least one IHS clinic in each state

Increase and expand community health centers and behavioral and mental health services for Native youth

Establish an adequately funded medical facility in all reservations

Ensure the Department of Education fully funds and includes Tribal Sovereignty Curriculum developed by Tribal leaders in all states

Provide funding for judicial training on the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 to eliminate the loss of Native children’s ties and identities to their families, cultures and homelands

Improve and align government policies and efforts, including data collection, to appropriately identify and classify American Indian/Alaska Native and multi-racial students

Expand funding for Tribal Compact Schools and address the disproportionate rates of drop-out, expulsion and suspension rates of Native students at the K-12 level

Expand access to Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native Studies programs in mainstream Colleges and Universities

Officially recognize children lost to adoption under the Indian Relocation Act of 1952, tribal members who were dis-enrolled during the U.S. Indian Tribes termination policies (1940 to mid-1960), prior to the enactment of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 and reunify them with their tribes and families

Ensure the rights of Tribal Nations to investigate and exercise criminal jurisdiction over non-Native citizens who commit domestic or sexual violence on Tribal lands in accordance with the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Maintain and authorize the VAWA to fund and expand the specific Tribal Nations’ provisions, such as judicial training

Improve and fund Native lands’ justice systems to facilitate prosecution of non-natives accused of serious crimes

Ensure correct Native classification of Missing and Murdered Native women in the federal records

Increase tribal, federal, state and local cooperation to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Native women

Commission a report on the pipeline culture as an intrinsic factor in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis of and mandate oil companies fund resources for crisis prevention

Improve state-federal-tribal relations to avoid bias and discriminatory policing through law enforcement cross-cultural education with Tribal Nations

Expand funding of Urban Indian health organizations to enable them to address the health needs of Native Americans in urban areas who may not have access to Tribal health facilities

Fund Indian Health Service’s (IHS) trust responsibility for Urban Indians so IHS funds can never be taken from the Federally Recognized Tribal allotment to fund Urban Indian Healthcare

Address the disproportionately high rates of homelessness among Urban Indians

Halt gentrification in Tribal and poor communities that prices people out of their communities

Help States develop and fund Urban Indian Liaison Offices to improve community relations

REPARATIONS AND THE AGENDA TO FACILITATE BLACK LIBERATION; “A Jill Stein Administration will guarantee as a human right reparations to the descendants of African slaves for the historic crime of enslavement. Reparations is a cornerstone of the Black Agenda, but reparations is far from the only policy needed to begin to redress what has been stolen from the Black community over 400+ years.”

In addition to ensuring Reparations, a Jill Stein Administration will:

Direct all federal agencies to consider and include race and ethnicity as part of all of their initiatives and other programs implemented with federal dollars

Overturn the harmful Alexander v. Sandoval Supreme Court decision that currently increases the burden for, or eliminates private right of action against entities that violate Title VI and other mandates contained in the Civil RIghts Act of 1964

Promulgate a moratorium on all proposed Cop Cities and end federal investments in such facilities

Establish a National Office for Civilian Oversight Committees to ensure greater transparency and accountability for civilian law enforcement departments

Establish a multi-agency federal Returning Citizens Task Force to assist and provide resources for the formerly incarcerated in an effort to expedite their journey back to full citizen status including, but not limited to, immediate restoration of voting rights in most cases

Increase investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and leverage the power of the federal government to force states to compensate state run, land grant HBCUs the more than $13 Billion they are owed

Increase investments in programs that support Black-owned businesses.

Ensure that a universal single-payer healthcare system addresses and resolves the health outcome disparities for the Black community, and in particular for Black women

Eliminate ‘food deserts’ where fresh produce and food sovereignty is largely unavailable, a condition which disproportionately impacts Black communities.

Work with Congress and federal agencies to codify the Justice for Black Farmers Act

Eliminate white nationalists from police forces by Federal law, and ensure white nationalist groups’ activities are routinely monitored, due to white nationalist violence being the greatest single source of domestic terrorism.

Ensure the Office of Civil Rights is fully funded, staffed, and fulfills its obligation to protect the civil rights of marginalized communities.

Restore Section 4(b) and Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and permanently certify the entire law

Address and ameliorate the legacy of redlining through programs that deliver recompense for Black homeowners whose home values are adversely and disproportionately impacted to this day by this systemically racist practice

Federal moratorium on new construction of fossil fuel infrastructure and other polluting operations in or proximate to Black and other environmental justice communities

Massive reinvestment from policing and prisons into social, economic, and other programs that lead to direct community benefits

Establish a federal commission to eradicate the lead pipes and tainted water crisis impacting cities like Flint, MI within one year after I take office

Work with Congress and impacted community members to draft and pass the Justice for Cancer Alley Act that will include compensation and free healthcare in perpetuity for victims in this region who have been subjected to environmentally racist practices for decades

Coordinate with Black-led formations including, but not limited to, the Black Hive at Movement for Black Lives to codify proposals and demands included in their Black Climate Mandate

Coordinate with Black-led formations including, but not limited to, the Black Alliance for Peace to promulgate their Zone of Peace strategies that combat and dismantle larger structures and interests that generate war and state violence—colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism and all forms of imperialismboth domestically and internationally

2SLGBTQIA+ RIGHTS

Support the Equality Act, the PRIDE Act, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and other bills to prohibit discrimination by the U.S., the military, state or local governments, or private industry

Support the PrEP Access and Coverage Act (until universal healthcare is implemented).

Develop and implement 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive public education to combat bullying

Include 2SLGBTQIA+ history in school curricula, provide school and community trainings and 2SLGBTQIA+ specific school counseling

Federally prohibit the harmful practice of “conversion therapy”

Fund housing relief programs for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, who are disproportionately represented in unsheltered populations

Remove punitive and cumbersome legal name change requirements and fees

Declare trans murder and suicide rates a national emergency

De-gender or add nonbinary gender options to all Federal public documents

De-gender school dress codes, and guarantee protection from discrimination as a result of dress in workplaces

Publish the original Equal Rights Amendment in the National Archives, effectively bringing it into law.

Prohibit insurance companies from denying trans-affirming procedures

Remove “transmedicalist” language from all educational materials relating to trans individuals

Specifically prohibit disciplining or firing trans employees for acknowledging their gender/pronouns with customers, clients, or other individuals in the workplace

Legally prohibit mutilative surgeries on intersex infants

Pass legislation to mandate that police adopt policies to ensure fairer interactions with transgender people, especially transgender women of color, who are disproportionately impacted by disparities in policing

Outlaw misgendered imprisonment nationwide and end “gay panic” and “trans panic” defenses for violent crimes

Prevent and repeal any legislation that purports to protect religious liberty at the expense of the rights of others

DISABILITY RIGHTS

Work towards economic security for people with disabilities by ensuring opportunities to partake fully in the economy at a fair wage and to enable financial security for all

Make sure that technology is accessible and supports the goals of the diverse lives of people with disabilities

Help children with disabilities and their families by providing life-changing early interventions and getting them valuable access to education

Defend the civil liberties of people with disabilities in areas like criminal justice, voting, physical and mental health, parental rights, and marriage equality

End all exceptions in wage laws and workplace protections for individuals with disabilities

Expand Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Social Income (SSI) to a living wage of greater than 10% of regional Cost of Living calculations

Expand access to Social Security/SSDI/SSI, including assistance of public lawyers in SSDI application.

Eliminate SSI waiting periods and disability proof requirements

Update the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with updates to be informed by people in the disabled community.

Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Pass the Disabilities Integration Act

Expand funding for Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs)

Ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ensure that disabled immigrants are afforded the same immigration rights as non-disabled immigrants

Federally invest in upgrading all existing public housing and public schools to ADA accessibility standards

Provide Federal funding to meet ADA accessibility and accommodation requests by individual residents, students and faculty

Create a federal “Disability Education Services Agency” to offer public schools resources and training to support students with disabilities

Pass a permanent Money Follows the Person (MFP) program to resist institutionalization and ensure a Right to Return to homes and community

Eliminate small business exemptions to the ADA; Appropriate federal funds to achieve compliance by small businesses

Establish federal marriage equality to eliminate marriage penalties for individuals with disabilities

Ensure opioid pain management protections for those with chronic and debilitating pain

Ensure a federal jobs guarantee covers people with disabilities, particularly with respect to limited work schedules and nontraditional job roles

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

A Jill Stein administration will:

Publish the Equal Rights Amendment

Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 7) to end pay discrimination and ensure equal pay for equal work

Pass the 2021 Violence Against Women Act

Ensure that domestic abusers cannot own or buy a gun

Federally fund and expedite all rape kit testing

Codify Roe v Wade

Ensure full reproductive rights and bodily autonomy for women

Repeal the Hyde Amendment

Fund free birth control and menstruation products

Repeal FOSTA/SESTA which puts sex workers at risk

Decriminalize sex work

Expand the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Protect and enforce Title IX

Ensure prosecution of sexual harassment and violence in the workplace and the military

IMMIGRATION

A Jill Stein administration will:

Vastly reduce the tide of migration by ending the crises driving people to migrate in the first place - ending US wars and military interventions (250 in the past 30 years, per the Congressional Research Service), reducing climate migration through an emergency Green New Deal and eliminating fossil fuel emissions within a decade; ending US economic sanctions driving migration from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua; legalizing marijuana in the US and supporting legalization in Latin America to undercut drug cartels whose violence is a major driver of migration.

Abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and establish an Office of Citizenship, Refugees, and Immigration Services under the Department of Labor. Redirect all ICE funding to processing centers that provide immigrants and refugees with resources for housing, work, and healthcare upon arrival

Prosecute all ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents who have committed human rights violations

Repeal the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act

Repeal the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

Grant amnesty to every undocumented person in the United States, and implement a path to citizenship with expediency

Provide whistleblower visas for immigrants who report labor violations or exploitative work conditions

Expand refugee programs and improve the housing conditions for all refugees during resettlement

Remove stringent requirements for linguistic assimilation and employment, and expand mental health services for refugees

Expand the number of visas available to immigrants

Greatly increase humanitarian aid to struggling Latin American economies, especially for countries that have been devastated by U.S. intervention

End US sanctions in general, which are illegal in any event. They should most immediately be ended where they devastate economies in Latin America and fuel immigration, as in Cuba and Venezuela

End the War on Drugs

Take immediate action to locate separated children and reunite them with their families

Direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and provide them resources to adjudicate visa petitions within 30 days, instead of the current 2 years or more, to shorten the duration of Family Separation for legal immigrants and citizens

Fully staff and fund immigration courts

Hire more asylum officers and provide exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate asylum cases

Ensure all immigration judges have civil service protection

Ensure that due process and constitutional protections are available to undocumented immigrants when it comes to deportation issues

Repeal section 212(a)(9)(B)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act concerning Accruing Unlawful Presence

Support DACA by updating the registration date of the 1929 Registry Act to 1/1/2022, and restoring Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which expired in April 2001. This will allow people who have approved petitions to apply for their Green Card upon payment of a fine for the filing fee.

Reduce the record number of detainees currently under DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) control.

On top of her Policies Jill Stein has also pledged to end the genocide in Gaza if shes elected president. Stating quote “We the undersigned demand the US government stop supporting the ongoing Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. We therefore pledge to withhold all support from candidates supporting the genocidal war on Gaza. We will instead support only candidates who:

Support peace, freedom, dignity, equality, and security for all people in Palestine and Israel;

Don’t take money from AIPAC and the PACs and lobbyists for war profiteers;

Who specifically support:

An immediate ceasefire

Ending the blockade and allowing food, water, medicine, energy, and emergency shelter to enter Gaza

Return of all hostages and political prisoners

An end to Israeli occupation and apartheid

Compliance by all parties in the conflict with international law, including an end to all violence against civilians

Accountability for war crimes

Jill Stein has also been vocal in her support of Palestinian voices at protests she's attended as well as on her social media and throughout her campaign. Unfortunately she still needs a major push to end up on the official ballot. You can still vote for her come november, you just have to write who you’re voting for on your slot. You can support and donate to her administration on her website. jillstein2024.com

[mariacallous]

Kyiv Independent: Belarusian parliament adopts bill on immunity from prosecution for ex-presidents

The Belarusian Parliament passed a bill on Dec. 22 that grants immunity from prosecution for the Belarusian president after his departure from the post.

According to the bill, the former Belarusian president may not be held liable for any actions committed during his tenure, detained, subjected to investigation, or deprived of personal freedom. The immunity also covers all property, real estate, and archives in possession of the former official and the president’s immediate family.

On leaving office, the ex-president has the option to take a seat in parliament’s upper chamber and is given a position in the All-Belarus People’s Assembly – a newly established extra-governmental body with the power to impeach the president.

The former president also receives a monthly allowance equal to 100% of the president’s wage, lifelong state pension, insurance, and medical coverage, and an option to obtain ownership of a chosen state-owned residence.

The amendments to the law on the Belarusian president bring it into line with changes made to the country’s constitution that were made after a contested referendum held on Feb. 27, 2022.

Lukashenko is Belarus’ only president, holding office since 1994.

Lukashenko called a constitutional referendum to overcome a domestic political crisis caused by the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, which he claimed to have won by a landslide. His victory was not recognized either by the opposition or internationally, and prompted massive months-long nationwide public protests.

The referendum was seen as a way of tightening Lukashenko’s grip on power in the country. It was prepared and held amidst mass political repression in the country, with hundreds of political prisoners jailed, civil society virtually eradicated, and the media fully muzzled.

Overshadowed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including from Belarus’ territory, the referendum allegedly approved the creation of the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, an extra-governmental organization with vast powers, including impeaching the president, appointing and firing Supreme and Constitutional Court judges, appointing the Central Election Committee, and approving the engagement of the Belarusian Armed Forces in military operations abroad.

The new Constitution also tightened requirements for potential presidential candidates, upping the age threshold from 35 to 40 years, and the required term of residence in Belarus before running for office from 10 to 20 years. Candidates with residence permits issued by other states would also be banned from running.

The European Union and other Western countries condemned the referendum.

The bill amending the law on the president was passed by the parliament after two readings.

It must now undergo review by the Constitutional Court and be signed by Lukashenko. Given the regime’s full control over the Constitutional Court, there’s little doubt the bill will be approved.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

thinking of how like reading albert cashier's (19th century trans man, fought in the union army) wikipedia article is devastating to me, in a good way, when like there's no The Diary Of, The Posthumously Discovered Letters Of Albert Cashier, it's all like fairly dry Facts about someone living a fairly ordinary life mostly Known by us all later via like, here's his stints at various jobs....and it's that like it's this life where several times due to injury / illness, his being trans was Known to any other people, and those people who, as is always the case in any matters of how we treat others, didn't Have to be respectful & simply mind their own business, but they did anyways, no known added factors, they Just Did. noting that despite hospitalization in the union army stint, he evaded detection(tm), but that it's then later on like this ordinary guy with an ordinary job, albert gets sick & a family he had meals with (a) takes care of him thus (b) becoming aware he's trans, and they: mind their own business about it. later, different job, totally different & even more removed party in the physician involved who realizes this person is trans, Also just minds their own business like aaugh!! the tragic downturn that when becoming "too" disabled for a Soldiers & Sailors Home (where friends & soldiers from his union army regiment visited, it says!! this with notes prior about like "other soldiers in the regiment noted he tended to keep to himself but he's not the only one in the world doing so huh" like waaah!!) being institutionalized & like of course in that environment that's where we get the violence of ppl learning someone's trans & this disabled person being forced into clothes they obviously even now would not choose for themself, or they'd already be wearing them!! but that then what Also happens is that even being this Extra vulnerable now and being trans being Known such that his military pension was investigated for fraud, Former Comrades vouched that this is the same person who fought with them, it was decided the pension payments should continue for life, they did, he was buried as albert cashier with full military honors i'm sooo ;;;m;;; like Cry Every Time (crying now. help) when it's just So like, people, as they do, don't Have to treat anyone decently, and obviously trans people are vulnerable & you're of course made to believe there weren't even 19th century trans people & everyone would Of Course summarily reject it if so b/c the internet wasn't around to mess things up, so that's an extra layer, but truly that timelessness anyways like. this person w/his identity so Lifelong that no "birth name" was known until someone handling his estate traced it back years later, this guy just out here, living his life, with nothing asserted to make him so "exceptional" as to "justify" Exceptions(tm) Made, with nothing about otherwise leveraged power or advantages or appeals....just various assorted people in his life all choosing to be respectful, even when they didn't Have to, just people coming through and Recognizing This Person. thus i sure do cry every time

[p0pipos]

I found this good post on a radfem website on how tra activisim is against what left wing people should believe:">reinforces gender roles, which harms women more >perpetuates the socialization of women to tend to men's needs over their own >gaslights women into believing their innate fight/flight complex is actually bigotry/twansphobia & that if they don't comply, they are encouraging svicide >provides a loophole for men to beat women because it's "just a catfight" >manipulates lesbians into having sex with men because they are "girlbrained" so it's a female penis >allows homophobic parents who don't want the stigma of a gay son/daughter to castrate/sterilize them as a way of conversion therapy - which is what's happening in iran, morocco sanctioned by the government but also happening in the US etc. >preys on the mentally ill, targeting people with autism, sexual trauma, depression, body dysmorphia etc. & obfuscates worrisome symptoms with fake bullshit >encourages people to become lifelong patients to big pharma/medical industrial complex & manipulates people to willingly allow medical experimentation under the guise of "affirming healthcare is frontier medicine" >destroys the legitimacy of science & academic institutions upholds these essentially spiritual/metaphysical pseudoscience that is not allowed to be questioned >bullies working class people into compliance & gets them fired which makes them lose their healthcare in the US, & all benefits, pensions etc. >is highly capitalistic as it encourages cosmetic surgery/designer bodies under the guise of life saving affirming healthcare >is allied with the government, big tech, big pharma, the mainstream media, celebrities but somehow convinced people that they are the highest priority on the woke pyramid & that you can self-ID into oppression"

💯

[kp777]

By Lynn Paramore, Institute for New Economic Thinking

Common Dreams

May 15, 2024

Shameful fact: the plight of U.S. retirees is a global exception. In their pursuit of lower taxes, America’s wealthiest individuals support policies that make it extremely difficult for seniors to manage the increasing costs of healthcare, housing, and basic necessities. Not so in other rich countries like Germany, France, and Canada, where robust public pensions and healthcare systems offer retirees stability and dignity. After a lifetime of hard work, older citizens in the U.S. find their reward is merely scraping by, as savings diminish under the weight of soaring medical costs in the most expensive healthcare system in the developed world.

The solution from America’s elites? Suck it up and work longer.

An example of this mindset appeared in a New York Times op-ed by C. Eugene Steuerle of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and Glenn Kramon, a Stanford Business School lecturer. The two accused older folks of robbing economic resources from the young through Social Security and Medicare—never mind that workers fund these programs with their own lifelong payroll contributions. They paint a picture of 65-year-old Americans jauntily playing “pickleball daily” and jet-setting “far and wide,” proposing to increase the age to collect Social Security and Medicare benefits, essentially forcing future retirees to work longer. (Curiously, they overlook how this move robs young people—too young to vote—of future retirement years. This echoes 1983, when the Reagan administration and Congress pushed the Social Security age from 65 to 67, impacting Gen X before they could even vote on it).

Steuerle and Kramon prop up their plan with studies that extol the health and wellbeing perks of working into old age, adding that “each generation lives longer” and therefore, it’s a patriotic duty for the elderly to stay on the job.

Are we all really living longer? Let’s first point out that Princeton economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton, noted for their research in health and economics, recently showed that many Americans are not, in fact, enjoying extended lives. As they stated in their own New York Times op-ed, those without college degrees are “scarred by death and a staggeringly shorter life span.” According to their investigation, the expected lifespan for this group has been falling since 2010. By 2021, people without college degrees were expected to live to about 75, nearly 8.5 years shorter than their college-educated counterparts.

Overall life expectancy in America dropped in 2020 and 2021, with increases in mortality across the leading causes of death and among all ages, not just due to COVID-19. In August 2022, data confirmed that Americans are dying younger across all demographics. Again, the U.S. is an outlier. It was one of two developed countries where life expectancy did not bounce back in the second year of the pandemic.

So the argument that everyone is living longer greatly stretches the truth—unless, of course, you happen to be rich: A Harvard study revealed that the wealthiest Americans enjoy a life expectancy over a decade longer than their poorest counterparts.

Could the idea that working into our seventies and beyond boosts our health and well-being hold true? Obviously, for those in physically demanding roles, such as construction or mining, prolonged work is likely to lead to a higher risk of injury, accidents, and wearing down health-wise. But what about everybody else? What if you have a desk job? Wouldn’t it be great to get out there, do something meaningful, and interact with people, too?

Perhaps it’s easy for people like Steuerle and Kramon to imagine older people working in secure, dignified positions that might offer health benefits into old age – after all, those are the types of positions they know best.

But the reality is different. Economist Teresa Ghilarducci, a professor at the New School for Social Research, focuses on the economic security of older workers and flaws in U.S. retirement systems in her new book, Work, Retire, Repeat: The Uncertainty of Retirement in the New Economy. She calls those praising the health perks of working longer “oddballs” – those fortunate folks in cushy positions who have a lot of autonomy and purpose. Like lawmakers or tenured professors, for example.

She points out that academic researchers often base their theories about the benefits of working longer on a hypothetical person who just tacked on a few extra years in the same position, noting that researchers often make the faulty assumption that people are not only living longer, but can also easily choose to work longer, keep their jobs without facing pay cuts, and continue stacking up savings into later life.

That’s not really how it plays out in real life for most folks. Ghilarducci found that most people don’t actually get to decide when they retire, noting that “the verb ‘retire’ isn’t a verb that really belongs to the agency of the worker – it’s the employers’ choice.” Retirement often means somebody above you telling you it’s time to go. You’re ousted—laid off or pushed out because your productivity’s slipping or your skills are aging like last year’s tech. Or simply because of biases against older workers. Age discrimination is a huge issue, with two-thirds of job seekers aged 45 to 74 reporting it. In fact, people trying to find a job say they encounter significant biases as early as age 35. For the high-tech and entertainment industries, this is particularly true.

So there’s that.

There’s also the fact that continuing to work in an unfulfilling job might be hazardous to your health. The reality is, a lot of us are grinding in jobs that are stressful and insecure, and that constant stress ties into a whole host of health issues — hypertension, heart problems, messed up digestion, and a weaker immune system, not to mention it can kickstart or worsen mental health troubles like depression and anxiety.

Many are stuck in what anthropologist David Graeber memorably dubbed “bullshit jobs” — roles that feel meaningless and draining. Graeber described these jobs as a form of ‘spiritual violence,’ and found them linked to heightened anxiety, depression, and overall misery among workers. His research found strong evidence that seeing your job as useless deeply impacts your psychological well-being.

The link between job dissatisfaction and poor health has been found to be significant in study after study. Unrewarding work can demotivate people from staying active, eating well, or sleeping regularly, potentially leading to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other health issues. In contrast, retiring from such a job could free up time and energy for wellness activities, enjoyable hobbies, and a healthier lifestyle overall.

Ghilarducci points out that reward-to-effort ratios, crucial for job satisfaction, are declining due to factors like stagnant real wages. She also highlights the problem of subordination, explaining that it can be “lethal” to remain in a job where you lack control over the content or pace of your work. According to her, such factors can lead to higher morbidity and lower mortality rates.

Okay, what about social engagement? That’s crucial for seniors, right? True, but demanding or unfulfilling jobs can make it hard to find the time and energy to socialize, leading to isolation and loneliness, which are major factors in declining mental health and quality of life for the elderly.

Also, when talking about delaying retirement, we can’t ignore cognitive decline. Sure, working longer might keep your mind sharp if the job is stimulating. However, research indicates the opposite for dull jobs. Florida State University researchers found that not only can tedious work accelerate cognitive decline, leading to increased stress and reduced life satisfaction, but “dirty” work does as well. They show that jobs in unclean environments with exposure to chemicals, mold, lead, or loud noises significantly impact brain health as we age.

Even university professors can suffer the effects of dirty jobs: North Carolina State University has recently come under fire for knowingly keeping faculty and staff working for decades in a building contaminated with PCBs, resulting in dire health consequences, including nearly 200 cases of cancer among those exposed.

Finally, it’s not a coincidence that those talking about raising the age for Social Security and Medicare are usually white men. They would suffer less from it than women, especially women of color. Women typically outlive men but earn less over their lifetimes, which already means smaller Social Security checks. It’s even tougher for Black women who often earn way less than their white peers and are more likely to have unstable jobs with skimpy benefits. Plus, women frequently take breaks from their careers for caregiving, shaving off years of paid work and further slicing their Social Security benefits. Pushing the retirement age higher forces women, especially Black women, to either toil longer in poor-quality jobs or retire without enough funds, making them more vulnerable to poverty and health problems as they get older.

Ghilarducci observes that for women in low-paying jobs with little control and agency, “working longer can really hasten their death, and the flip side of that is that retirement for these women really helps them.”

Bottom line: The whole “work longer, live healthier” spiel doesn’t fly for most. In the U.S., the well-off might be milking the joys of extended careers, but lower-income folks, particularly women and people of color, often endure the slog of thankless jobs that negatively impact their health and well-being. Elites shout from their comfortable positions that we need to push retirement further back as if it’s the magic fix to all economic woes. But when such people fantasize about happy seniors thriving at work, they’re missing the harsh reality many face—painful, boring, insecure jobs that speed death.

The myth that we’re all living longer and healthier is just that—a myth belied by life expectancy stats showing not everyone’s in the same boat. What America desperately needs is a beefed-up, fair Social Security and Medicare system that serves all Americans, not just the ones who can afford to retire without a worry. No one should be stuck choosing between a crappy job and retiring into penury.

Yet Republicans are on the warpath against Social Security and Medicare. Senator Mike Lee has explicitly stated his goal to completely eliminate Social Security, aiming to “pull it up by the roots, and get rid of it.” His fellow Republicans are enthusiastically getting the ball rolling: House Republicans have released a new proposal to weaken Social Security by raising the retirement age. For his part, former and possible future president Donald Trump indicates a willingness to consider cuts to Medicare and Social Security, despite previously criticizing his primary rivals on the issue, who were almost wall to wall demanding drastic cutbacks.

Democratic lawmakers typically show more support for Social Security and Medicare in public, though their track record has not fully alleviated concerns about the present and future vulnerability of these programs. In his recent State of the Union speech, President Biden advocated for the expansion and enhancement of Social Security and Medicare, declaring that “If anyone here tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop them!” But it’s important to keep in mind that he supported raising the retirement age during the 1980s and again in 2005.

Polling shows that voters, whether Democrats or Republicans, do not want to cut these programs. Actually, they want to expand Social Security and Medicare. That’s because those who face the realities of daily life understand that working endlessly is a cruel and unreasonable – not to mention unhealthy — expectation that no society should endorse. The idea that America can’t afford to do this is outlandish when the evidence is so clear that American billionaires pay historically low tax rates that are now lower than those for ordinary workers. What America can’t afford is the super-wealthy and their paid representatives working the rest of us to death.

[moonilit]

Actually on the topic of therapy in Teyvat: The Crux Fleet provides services similar to therapy and treatment after particularly harrowing experiences on their voyages. They also have the equivalent to a lifelong pension after mortal and crippling injuries render sailors incapable of continued work.

In other words, if I was isekaied into Teyvat, I’d want to be a part of the Crux Fleet.

god dame, pirates' fleets have a better health care system than all the governments we know, but it beidou so I'm not surprised

[lboogie1906]

Maria W. Stewart (1803 – December 17, 1879) was a free-born African American who became a teacher, journalist, lecturer, abolitionist, and women's rights activist. The first known American woman to speak to a mixed audience of men and women, white and African Americans, she was the first African-American woman to make public lectures, as well as to lecture about women's rights and make a public anti-slavery speech. The Liberator published two pamphlets by Stewart: Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality, The Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build in 1831, and another of religious meditations, Meditations from the Pen of Mrs. Maria Stewart (1832). In February 1833, she addressed Boston's African Masonic Lodge, which soon ended her brief lecturing career. Her claim that African American men lacked "ambition and requisite courage" caused an uproar among the audience, and she decided to retire from giving lectures. Seven months later, she gave a farewell address at a schoolroom in the African Meeting House. She moved to New York City, then to Baltimore, and finally to DC., where she worked as a schoolteacher, and then head matron at Freedmen's Hospital. She was born the child of free African-American parents in Hartford. She lost both parents and was sent to live with a minister and his family. She continued as a servant in that home until she was 15, without receiving any formal education. She attended Sabbath School before church service on Sundays and developed a lifelong affinity for religious work. She married James W. Stewart (1826), an independent shipping agent. He died in 1829. The executors of his estate deprived Maria as his widow of any inheritance. This moment spurred Stewart to begin thinking about women's rights and the inequities they faced. He had served in the War of 1812 and a law was passed allowing veterans' widows and their husbands' pensions. She is included in Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CmRFzXquBZb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[digital-crusader]

Ageing India: Unveiling the Social Challenges Faced by Elderly Citizens

Introduction: India, a country with a rich cultural heritage and a rapidly growing population, is currently witnessing a significant demographic shift. The ageing population in India is increasing at an unprecedented rate, bringing forth numerous social challenges for retired individuals and elderly parents. It is imperative to shed light on these issues to create awareness and work towards finding sustainable solutions that ensure the well-being and dignity of our senior citizens.

Financial Insecurity: One of the most pressing concerns faced by the elderly in India is financial insecurity. Many retired individuals lack sufficient savings or pension plans to meet their daily needs, let alone cover medical expenses or unexpected emergencies. This vulnerability highlights the need for comprehensive social security systems and pension reforms that can provide a safety net for our ageing population.

Healthcare Concerns: Access to quality healthcare is another significant challenge faced by older individuals, particularly in rural areas where medical facilities are limited. As health issues become more prevalent with age, the lack of affordable and accessible healthcare services poses a grave risk to the well-being of the elderly. There is a critical need to prioritize geriatric healthcare and establish robust healthcare infrastructure to cater to the specific needs of older citizens.

Loneliness and Isolation: In a rapidly changing society, traditional family structures are evolving, leading to increasing instances of elderly parents living alone or being geographically separated from their adult children. This isolation and loneliness can have severe repercussions on their mental health and overall quality of life. We must focus on building support systems that foster intergenerational connectivity and address the emotional well-being of our elderly citizens.

Elder Abuse Awareness: A distressing reality faced by some elderly individuals in India is the occurrence of elder abuse. Physical, emotional, and financial mistreatment leaves the elderly feeling vulnerable and victimized. It is crucial to create awareness about this issue and establish legal frameworks that protect the rights and dignity of our senior citizens. Additionally, community engagement and education can help prevent elder abuse and encourage a culture of respect and care for the elderly.

Strengthening Social Support: To address the social challenges faced by elderly citizens, we need to strengthen and expand social support systems. Community-based programs, volunteer initiatives, and support groups can provide a sense of belonging and assistance to older individuals. Collaboration between the government, NGOs, and local communities is crucial in ensuring that the elderly have access to support networks that address their unique needs.

Enhancing Retirement Infrastructure: India’s retirement infrastructure is currently inadequate to cater to the needs of the growing elderly population. There is a need for comprehensive retirement planning mechanisms, including affordable housing, assisted living facilities, and geriatric care centers. By investing in infrastructure that promotes ageing with dignity, we can create an environment where older citizens can lead fulfilling lives and receive the care and support they deserve.

Ageism and Age Discrimination: Ageism and age discrimination are pervasive issues faced by older individuals in various aspects of life, including employment, social interactions, and healthcare. Changing societal attitudes and promoting intergenerational understanding can help combat these biases and create an inclusive society that values the contributions of the elderly.

Promoting Active Ageing: Active ageing is a concept that encourages older individuals to lead healthy, engaged, and productive lives. Through physical exercise, lifelong learning, and participation in social activities, older citizens can maintain their physical and mental well-being. It is essential to promote active ageing by creating opportunities for seniors to engage in meaningful activities and have access to lifelong learning programs.

Conclusion: Aumorto offers NRIs a powerful solution to the challenges they face in ensuring the well-being of their aging parents residing in Kolkata. By providing a nurturing environment, trustworthy care, cultural integration, comprehensive medical support and a serene retirement living experience, Aumorto empowers NRIs to offer their parents longer, healthier and more meaningful life. With Aumoto, NRIs can find solace, knowing that their parents are in the hands of a dedicated and compassionate society.