There was an ad on TV this morning for OASAS. They pronounced it oasis (because that's just the way things are these days). The catch-phrase that got my attention was "harm reduction strategies".
I looked em up. OASAS is the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Their mission is to improve people's lives.
There
are TONS of similar agencies and groups and even individuals also,
working to improve people's lives. And I should say first, that this is
admirable work. But it sure would be nice if we didn't need so much of
it.
Google turns up almost 9 billion results, for a world of less than 8 billion people:
Economic troubles that are widespread and spreading, persistent and growing worse are indications that the cause is macroeconomic in nature. Our world is full of such troubles. We try to solve them by treating them as microeconomic troubles, trying to make the world a better place, one person at a time.
I applaud the effort. But the success would be greater if we would fix things from the macroeconomic end as well.
2 comments:
What's that? We already have macroeconomic policies in place you say? That is true. We have two types.
The one type has been known to succeed for short periods of time, for those who have most of the money, by making it easier for them to acquire more.
The other type is not really a plan to fix the problem at all. It is a form of charity that helps people cope instead of giving them hope.
We need a different sort of macro than either of those. But I can't lay it out in 25 words or less. Let me instead show you the underlying problem.
I saw that OASAS ad again this morning. The message begins:
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION -- UP!
GAMBLING - UP!
OVERDOSE DEATHS - WAY UP!
Those things are their focus.
Far as I'm concerned, those are consequences of hard times.
Fix the ecoonomy, and those UPs will become DOWNs.
Post a Comment