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Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary

Crown,

15 Minuten Lesezeit
9 Take-aways
Text verfügbar

Was ist drin?

Professor Timothy Snyder explains why health care reform is crucial to preserving American democracy.

Editorial Rating

8

getAbstract Rating

  • Visionary
  • Eloquent
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Few Americans disagree that their health care system is broken. Even for the insured, care in the United States is often prohibitively expensive, inefficient and unequal. The problem is so complex and seemingly intractable that many people just accept the status quo. Yale professor Timothy Snyder was inspired to write this eloquent text after experiencing a life-threatening illness. He effectively argues the moral case for health care reform – a matter that he thinks cuts straight to the heart of liberty – and offers a compelling look at the need and potential for change.

Summary

The pursuit of happiness and health in the United States has become much harder.

The American promise of an ever-improving quality of life, from generation to generation, is fading. US life expectancy has not made gains in a long time, and it has even declined since 2015. Black women suffer a higher mortality rate in childbirth in the United States than exists even in some developing countries. Millennials overpay for care that will not necessarily help them live longer. Suicide rates among middle-aged people have risen.

A private health care system founded on insurance providers and hospitals that put profits over patients is largely to blame for these poor outcomes. The coronavirus pandemic only underscored the fact that fear and confusion characterize the US health care system.

Good health is integral to freedom and is thus a human right. 

Health care isn’t just limited to health; it’s also a question of freedom, defined as an individual’s ability to self-actualize. You cannot pursue happiness if you are ill and lack meaningful choices for care. Although freedom is an individual...

About the Author

Timothy Snyder is a professor of history at Yale University and the author of several books, including On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. 

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