Book 2 Post 2

As a recap, I decided to read Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary by Timothy Snyder for my second book. I chose to read it because I thought it both an extremely interesting perspective and structure for an author to take on (the writing of this book and what it discusses was spurred by a near-death hospital stay and experience from the author himself), and also thought it was a timely collection of thoughts to read in light of the recently-passed 1 year anniversary of when COVID-19 kicked us all off of campus and out of in-person classes and sent many people home to work remotely. As I discussed in my last post, even the introduction and first few chapters made me reflect more upon my mortality and how my privilege has shaped my view on my own health as well as healthcare in general, and after nearly finishing the book (I definitely had to speed read it a bit because of how crazy school has been, but want to go back and reread certain sections), I can definitely say that my perspectives on healthcare in America as well as perceptions of America's problems have been shifted and solidified.


I think I always believed in healthcare as a human right, but I know plenty of people who don't necessarily 100% subscribe to this mindset--after all, there are a lot of people in America, and the common thought that goes around is that there are not enough resources to go around to be able to provide everybody the same high-quality care. Thus, in their eyes, healthcare not being a human right is an unfortunately reality of the situation we exist in that cannot be helped, rather than an explicit problem that we as a society perpetrate. We are being convinced by major political and economic powers that change is too expensive, but in reality, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 20 million Americans lost their jobs while America's billionaires increased their combined wealth by $282 billion. For me, I think reading this book in the context of the pandemic really made me take a step back from America and it's problems--both in a sense of letting me realize the extent of my privilege even as non-white non-male person, as well as de-shrouding the American guise of perfection and that freedom requires suffering. Overall, I would 100% recommend this book to anybody, regardless of their political or economic views, as I think it provides a unique insight into the injustices of America's healthcare system and is really relevant to all of us as students in a pandemic.

Comments

  1. Jackson FaughtMarch 19, 2021 at 9:56 PM

    Serena, I think stuff like this is always super important to read no matter which side of politics or viewpoints you are on. No matter what we can all learn something from listening to the stories and viewpoints of others! Its super interesting hearing about how you said your experiences and life has influenced even the way you view things. Thanks for the post!

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  2. Eileen TakMarch 19, 2021 at 11:37 PM

    Hey Serena! This is definitely a touchy subject just because of the political stigma that comes with it. However, I completely agree with you. I think we need to stop pretending that America is the best country in the world and face the fact that there are many things that we lack compared to other first-world countries. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  3. Baylor AdamsMarch 20, 2021 at 5:24 PM

    Serena, I wish I had read this book! You bring up the unfair and staggering statistic of wealth gains throughout the pandemic. The more money you have, the better healthcare you will receive, which seems like a broken facet of our system to me. It makes me begin to question American values, the thought of the American dream and how we've become a society of people that only look out for ourselves, not others. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. ChiMarch 20, 2021 at 7:24 PM

    Hey Serena. Another reason why people dislike the idea of nationalized health care (or tuition free college, etc) is that they think the U.S. would become too much like socialist country (or too "unamerican"). I feel like this topic has been increasingly important especially with the pandemic and the fact that not everyone would have access to health care amid this crisis. Thank you for your reflection.

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  5. Kaitlin BaldwinMarch 21, 2021 at 11:22 AM

    Hi Serena! I also find that statistic about billionaires' wealth during the pandemic incredibly mind-boggling. While COVID-19 can infect anyone, wealthier individuals, especially billionaires, are shielded from a lot of the negative impacts felt by others in this country. Many billionaires made their money on their own and they are examples of successful capitalism. That being said, billionaires represent a small percentage of Americans, and it is pretty shocking to see how different their lives have been during this pandemic relative to those less fortunate. I don't think you see such a stark contrast in any other country.

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  6. AnonymousMarch 21, 2021 at 11:10 PM

    Hi Serena -- I loved reading your description of Snyder's book. I don't remember seeing this book as one of the options, but you've definitely peaked my interest. I never really thought about my privilege when it comes to healthcare, until Covid, and I completely agree with everything you said in your discussion of American healthcare . -- Maddie Pink

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  7. Carlo RinconApril 2, 2021 at 6:00 PM

    Hi Serena, I very much enjoyed your reflection! It is interesting to hear how everyone's books are so different, but all have been relatable to the pandemic (even if they were written before the pandemic, or during). I love that you were able to connect it to you current experiences. While I am no economist, I definitely know that rich people striving during a pandemic and doing better than ever, while poor people suffer, is enough to know that there is inequality within our society. I wish that these disparities did not exist, but I am glad that others are taking note to them as well.

    Best,
    Carlo

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