My Image of a Peace Society

by Abbe Sudvarg

As a Family Practice physician who takes care of the underinsured (about 50% of my adult patients have no insurance at all), my first thoughts about a Peace Economy include an image of a society where all of its people have access to health care. Certainly, there are models, all over the developed world, of countries that have universal, single-payer health care systems. I tire of the complaints that, in countries like Canada, a person has to wait for months for a hip replacement or cataract removal—unless they cross the border to the U.S. and pay for their procedure. In the United States, the uninsured wait in their homes with crushing chest pain and infarcting heart muscle, because they are afraid to go to the hospital and incur the debt of their care.

My image of a Peace Economy includes a society where every preschool child can attend a Head Start Program and later attend a safe, un-crowded classroom in a public school. Where the child can eat a healthy meal and then play kick the can or tag with his/her friends—in a neighborhood without drive-by shootings or fear of assault.

My image of a Peace Economy includes a United States of America; with its vast natural resources, ingenious scientists, and hard working people; utilizing its labor, finances, and talent to create alternative energy sources and better public transportation.

The U.S. has spent over $500 billion on the war in Iraq—a cruel war that has been waged illegally and through deceit. My image of a Peace Economy includes a United States that uses its resources to take care of the world, not cause destruction.