*Only got too read up to page 265
Tracy Kidder. Mountains Beyond Mountains. United States: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2009.
Précis:
Traveling with Dr. Paul Farmer while narrating his life work and the struggle of the impoverished. Farmer's mission is to serve the poor, gratis in countries like Haiti, Peru, and Russia. It runs from approximately 1982 to 2003. Farmer's crusade is to end infectious disease and bring lifesaving medicines to those that have no access to it and most need it. The great antagonist faced is poverty and the inherent epidemics that come with it. Caused by the people who turn their backs on poverty and the government policies that allow it to flourish. The climax stemming from the Haitian proverb “Dye mon, gen mon.”, it is about trying to reach the top of the mountain and when getting there deciding which mountain to climb next.
Farmer tries to eradicate the evil of poverty and illness among the poor and it’s his trying that makes him great. Resulting in Farmer reaching the top of many mountains, such as the adoption of new prescriptions for MDR-TB by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the outcome is still uncertain, because there are still many more mountains for people like Paul Farmer to climb, as there always will. If the world continues to turn its back on the needs of the poor, then the outcome will once again be uncertain rather than hopeful.
Quotes:
• “Of all the worlds errors, he seemed to feel, the most fundamental was the “erasing” of people, the “hidings away” of suffering. “My big struggle is how people cannot care, erase, and not remember.”” (Pg.219) I feel the same, things happen in the past but I still find them pertinent, and find the greedy & rich’s only manner of staying sane is erasing everyone drastically beneath them.
• “It also freed him from the efforts that many people make to find refuge and distinction from their pasts, and from the mass of their fellow human beings” (pg. 219) This statement spoke clarity to my mentality and relived a weight off my shoulders for being able to understand the actions of myself. I believe my action divulges into the human nature to seek understanding. We want to be our own entity with our differences but we also want to attain that dependency on others.
• “Farmer got the same answers everywhere, and when he approached the drug companies, looking for donations or at least reduced prices, they suggested he go to the same agencies and foundations that had deemed his program non-sustainable because of high drug prices” (pg. 243) This is clear cut evidence for my reflection to follow. Also, where I derived my inspiration.
• “You’re a great guy,” I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “But without your clinical practice –“ He interrupted. He said, “I wouldn’t be anything.” (Pg.237) I found this quote honest and disturbing. He would be nobody on a global scale of his impact upon others but he would still be a flourishing mind, so I agree with this statement but I also contradict myself by believing it is not true. I think this pertains to me because I want to change societal living in the world but need something to make me “something” like Farmer, to fight the “experts” or “idiots in power” and connect me with masses of my fellow brothers and sisters for rebellion and revolution.
Reflection:
The more I read the more thoughts of political radical actions to change the world arose in my sprit. All based on eliminating economic class systems! Ideas such as creating a cap price on ALL products sold. It would be determined based on the total cost of creating the product, taking a certain percentage of that adding it to the cost of production for sales price. To help reduce the differences in class scale. I cannot place this in words well. So for example:
A drug cost $5 to make (including all factors of production) so say the company could only sell the drugs for $10 to make 100% revenue! Fair, I say. SO ERRADICATING THE FREE MARKET. This would also reinstate the purpose of making an object of quality because that of quality will bring in more revenue. I also believe this would help instate the benefits of giving skill to all Americans, have them not import from the rape of the poverty in sweatshop locations such as China, but make things themselves. It also made me dream of a country with no borders, which are also materialistic objects that simply create separation from all our fellow brothers and sisters. Mountains are there to climb, so I am going to hike till it kills me.
A dominant social practice and belief I observed in this book is to act more urgently in the case of death or illness when it is a person’s own child or blood. I believe this is instinctual because they have an emotional connection to ones spirit or soul. I find this contrast to acting more urgently in the case of someone with wealth versus ignoring someone poor, placing more importance on the paper than the value of someone’s life. I also believe in America this is the dominant social practice established through the government.
You bring up some huge issues (price increases of medication, for example), and hint at other more ethical issues that we could talk about forever. The thing that interests me most here is the issue of economics and your proposal to eradicate the free market...a tricky proposal, indeed. I would argue that perhaps less than to eradicate a free market (which theoretically inspires competition and therefore both innovation and higher quality), and more to regulate cost and distribution. The very fabric of American history is anti-corporation and anti-monopoly. The original American revolutionaries saw English corporate rule as oppressive and as exploiting the people. As a result, the ability to incorporate was strictly regulated by the government. Later, in the late 19th, early 20th century,the US government set up anti-trust laws to protect consumers and citizens from monopolies that compromised quality, diversity of manufacturing, and fair prices.... somewhere along the line, all of these things changed. Perhaps what we require is not a new revolution, but a return to where we came from in the first place? A desire to protect consumers and promote fair prices, domestic production, and choice in healthcare and other fields?
ReplyDeleteAnd one more question for you, my budding revolutionary friend--how is it that a people born of revolution (Americans) are so complacent? How is it that another group of revolutionaries (the French), have maintained a sense of empowerment and political activism? How are we different? Why has American government shut their ears to the people in this so-called democracy (really a republic)?
ReplyDeleteEloise,
ReplyDeleteI love your specific plans for pharmaceutical economy of our country. I'm not sure if they would work, but I think it is beneficial to fall into the habit of searching for solutions to our societal problems. You say, "Mountains are there to climb, so I am going to hike till it kills me." How do you intend to "hike"? Do you have a strategy, or some ideas for how to make a difference, even when we can't significantly alter our economy or put plans for it into action? I'm interested to hear about what you have in mind.