Against The Grain
Thursday, November 29, 2018
There was a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival that I institute surprisingly or thus abode inwards the wellness attention world. It was titled “Against the Grain” in addition to was summarized every bit follows:
Voices of private courage in addition to conviction examine strategies of steadfast truth telling inwards the aspect upwards of social pressure level in addition to majority opinion.
The panelists comprised a Who’s Who of writers who possess got taken a stand upwards in addition to engaged inwards acts of conscience inwards their work.
Swapan Dasgupta, an Indian conservative columnist, says he is labeled every bit “contrary because I betray my class, “ a grouping that has “a self-image of existence progressive” but are truly condescending towards those amongst other views.
“I possess got lost a lot of friends” yesteryear taking positions, he notes. He bemoans this result. “I don’t shout back political positions should last viewed every bit thus polarizing every bit to foreclose normal social relationships.” He proclaimed, “Can’t nosotros permit this unopen hear mental attitude disappear?”
Salima Hashmi’s manly somebody parent was jailed inwards Islamic Republic of Pakistan for his political views decades ago. This episode in addition to the isolation from her previous friends in addition to neighbors provided lessons for her: “You larn well-nigh value, friendships, in addition to loyalty inwards these situations.”
These memories, along amongst her ain work, prompted her to elaborate on the themes mentioned yesteryear Dasgupta. “People convey self-censorship. They convey dictatorial behavior.” Such attitudes give-up the ghost socialized every bit the norm.
And then, Gideon Levy, an Israeli whose really life has been threatened because of his views well-nigh his country’s draw of piece of work of Palestinian territory, went further. He described many of his countrymen every bit existence inwards “a pathological denial. No i wants to know. No i wants to say.” They are “ignorant, blind, apathetic, without whatever moral doubts.”
He went on to explicate the purpose of the journalist: “We are in that place to give a message that is non convenient.”
I don’t pose myself inwards the category of these bully writers. But I possess got to say that I possess got institute similar patterns of demeanour from many inwards the wellness attention champaign when I possess got raised concerns well-nigh the actions of doctors in addition to hospitals that tread on medical ethics, that neglect to address ongoing problems of lineament in addition to security inwards patient care, or that employ overly greedy approaches to corporate acquisitions, mergers, in addition to management. Several other writers I know possess got faced the same patterns.
In short, instead of disceptation the merits of those issues nosotros raise, those who disagree oftentimes adopt the form of unsocial demeanour noted yesteryear Dasgupta. Some but attain non respond, favoring a passive aggressive approach. Some answer yesteryear personal attacks. Sadly, inwards the words of Levy, they oftentimes acquaint symptoms of existence “ignorant, blind, apathetic, without whatever moral doubts.”
Imagine some other world. Imagine i inwards which, when challenged well-nigh an issue, wellness attention people would hear modestly in addition to carefully, engage inwards civil discourse, in addition to endeavor their best to shout back of what approach would best serve their communities—as opposed to what would best serve their private or corporate interests.
I believe that wellness attention folks tin sack acquire away amongst bad social demeanour because many media outlets in addition to journalists fright existence pose inwards the outcast purpose described yesteryear the JLF panelists. It is a work for Blue Planet proficient when journalists convey the unstated in addition to attain non probe behind the scenes in addition to let on the inefficiencies, the harm, in addition to the injustices that are endemic to our wellness attention system. The media but give-up the ghost outlets for the press releases in addition to pablum produced yesteryear vested interests inwards the field. Were it non for people similar Charles Ornstein in addition to his colleagues at Pro Publica, John Fauber at the Milwaukee Sentinel Journel, Elisabeth Rosenthal at the New York Times, many of the major issues facing States of America wellness attention would have no attending at all.
I wishing my wellness attention journalist colleagues could possess got been acquaint for this session inwards Jaipur. Maybe they would possess got been stimulated to convey on Gideon Levy’s advice: “We are in that place to shake.”