Old Mole Variety Hour for August 16, 2021

Photo by Bette Lee

The Old Mole presents Thirty Years in the Streets of Portland: The Activist Photography of Bette Lee

Denise Morris hosts this episode of the Old Mole, which includes the following segments:

• Improving the U.S. health care system. Bill Resnick interviews Reggie Williams, a Vice-President of the Commonwealth Fund whose singular objective is improving the U.S. health care system. Their most recent evaluation and report that Williams supervised and authored compared the U.S. health care to the systems in 10 other high income countries, on the quality of care, access to it, price and some 70 other measures. The US ranked dead last, and by a lot. Bill and Reggie also discuss what the U.S. must do to improve, including prioritizing primary care, providing universal care at minimal cost to persons and families (that is what we call consumers), greatly lowering the administrative costs of our private health insurance customers, and moving towards team methods in treating chronic disease. 
• Glen Ford Tribute. Last month on July 28th 2021 journalist and, Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report Glen Ford died at the age of 71. BAR provides news, commentary and analysis from the Black left and the loss of the voice and dedication of Glen Ford at such a young age is a tragic one indeed.  From the archive February 2019, Laurie Mercier talked with Glen Ford on The Old Mole. As the Trump administration entered its’ final year, they discussed an electoral strategy for the left: "What's a socialist to do?" Do any Democratic candidates offer a possibility for real change? Power to the people! and Glen Ford: The James Brown of Black Radical Media
• July 24th Medicare for All Rally in Portland. "Should health care be about profits or about people? Should you be denied access to basic life-saving care? Do you want a system of healthcare that maintains the market value of our largest money makers or one that promotes health for American families?" Desiree Hellegers brings voices from the July 24th Medicare for All Rally in Portland, which was part of a national day of action. The Portland rally was sponsored by the Portland Chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Jobs with Justice, "and a host of other community organizations" set on demonstrating that the "fight for universal healthcare is just getting started."