This is an excellent article published in the Guardian and I would recommend it as a “must read”. Check it out!
via ‘Recessions can hurt, but austerity kills’ | Politics | The Guardian.
The article quotes extensively from David Stuckler’s new book. Stuckler is a researcher at Oxford University specializing in the economics of health.
Here is a small quote from the Guardian article to give you a flavor:
So in this current economic crisis, there are countries – Iceland, Sweden, Finland – that are showing positive health trends, and there are countries that are not: Greece, Spain, now maybe Italy. Teetering between the two extremes, Stuckler reckons, is Britain.
The UK, he says, is “one of the clearest expressions of how austerity kills”.
It seems that the UK Government is once again in denial and the Department of Health is massaging the suicide statistics.
Any thoughts?
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Dr Alf's Blog 
When some one searches for his vital thing, thus he/she wishes to be available that in
detail, so that thing is maintained over here.
Accurately to determine causation is extremely difficult and this is a perfect example. How far back along a train of events do you go before deciding that this bit hurts but that bit kills? Your choice is subjective. It would be as accurate to say “successive governments in the UK have been killing their people by racking up debt which created financial problems which had to be corrected and that correction drove people to their deaths”.
Nothing unusual in wanting to play the blame game, but not very helpful, either.
Rodney,
With respect I disagree. There is empirical evidence. Please read again the Guardian article – here’s the link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/15/recessions-hurt-but-austerity-kills
If you have the time look at the book on which the Guardian article is based; the authors Stuckler (Oxford) and Basu (Stanford) are serious researchers; and here the Amazon link to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Body-Economic-Austerity-Kills/dp/0465063985
If you short of time, I would recommend that you search “austerity” on Twitter – the results are staggering.
If you are still not convinced, I am happy to debate methodology
Regards
Alf
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