Blah, blah, blah

People are dieing younger in many of our nation’s worst off counties, a new study has found. The study authors conclude, “[T]he 1980s and 1990s marked an era of increased inequalities in mortality in the United States.”

“[These inequalities are] particularly troubling,” the researchers explain, “because an oft-stated aim of the U.S. health system is the improvement of the health of all people, and especially those at greater risk of health disparities.”

Despite its stated goals, our health system is leaving many people without the care they need to live. The insurance driven healthcare is not covering everyone. It is inadequate and the price is deadly.

We need universal, single payer healthcare to remove these unjust inequalities, so no one’s life is needlessly cut short.

The human brain responds to fairness, UCLA researchers have found, the same as it does to winning money or eating chocolate. Fairness and money are both seen as rewards.

Given that money and fairness are often mutually exclusive, the real question becomes what is more rewarding. I would say the latter. You?

Social stereotypes, researchers found in a meta-analysis of several studies, partially determine a person’s ability to do well at a particular task or job.

For example, Asian women tend to do better at math if they identify as Asian rather than women.

Racism is so deeply internalized that the language describing a sporting event actually affects its outcome. Another study has shown that white golfers tend to perform better against black opponents if they are told that they are being judged on their “sport strategic intelligence” than if they are told they are being tested on their “natural athletic ability.”

“The power of stereotypes should not be underestimated. What we think about ourselves - and also, what we believe others think about us - determines both how we perform and what we are able to become,” said Professor Alex Haslam of the University of Exeter. “As well as holding people back, stereotypes and preconceptions can boost both individual and group performance. For example, if you belong to a group that is always exposed to the message ‘we are the best,’ this can promote personal achievement. While we’re often told ‘believe in yourself,’ it can actually be more beneficial to focus on beliefs about your group, as group identity is a powerful vehicle for both personal and social change.”