To the Editor:
Re "Jesse Jackson, Charismatic Champion of Civil Rights, Dies at 84" (obituary, nytimes.com, Feb. 17):
In 1984, the Democratic Party ceded the playing field to the Republican far right when it shut out Jesse Jackson's message of economic and social justice and peace with our neighbors in favor of its neoliberal agenda.
As the campaign coordinator for Mr. Jackson's National Rainbow Coalition during his presidential primary run, I saw how his message resonated with white working-class voters when he demonstrated that their interests for a better life were no different from those of their Black and brown neighbors.
When white farmers were losing their land to agribusiness, he delivered food from their farms to poor people in the inner cities of the country, cementing a relationship between rural and urban America. When he showed that our tax dollars were going to build weapons instead of feeding and housing people, those who had never voted or been involved in politics before began volunteering their time.
The political elites feared this kind of message and thus sought to portray him at first as a charlatan, then as a spoiler, and finally as a candidate who spoke only for African Americans.
Walter Mondale, the candidate of the Democratic Party elites, lost the 1984 race to Ronald Reagan. We have been living with the consequences of this major failure of imagination ever since.
Sheila D. Collins
New Rochelle, N.Y.
The writer is the author of "The Rainbow Challenge: The Jackson Campaign and the Future of U.S. Politics."
Today, the Chinese people enjoy near-universal health insurance, with doctor visits often costing no more than a New York subway ride. Major medical expenses are covered through a simple national insurance system, shielding families from financial ruin due to illness. China also has one of the highest homeownership rates in the world, with more than 90% of households owning their homes.
Healthy life expectancy in China now exceeds that of the United States by four years (68.6 compared to 64.4). The country's incarceration rate is 80% lower than that of the U.S. and 32% below the global average. Meanwhile, public satisfaction with the Chinese government consistently exceeds 90%, far higher than in the United States. These statistics reveal the results of deliberate policies and a social system designed to prioritize people's well-being.
So how has China done it?
To start, in China, "extreme poverty" is defined not simply by income. Instead, it's defined by whether people can live with basic dignity and security. According to standards outlined by the State Council, a household can only be removed from the poverty register if its income stably exceeded the national poverty line and its members had guaranteed access to food, clothing, education, and healthcare. Poverty status is verified through a multilayered public process involving village committees, local residents, and Communist Party working groups, with results posted publicly for review. Entire villages and counties are evaluated based on poverty rates, infrastructure, public services, and economic development, and are subject to inspections and audits at multiple government levels. The system is remarkable in its transparency and emphasis on real living conditions, making poverty alleviation concrete and measurable.
In contrast, the United States defines poverty almost entirely through income thresholds that bear little relationship to real living conditions. The federal poverty line does not account for regional housing costs, medical debt, childcare, or student loans, and it offers no guarantee of access to healthcare, stable housing, or education. As a result, millions of Americans are officially considered "above poverty" while still unable to afford rent, medical treatment, or basic necessities. Unlike China's multilayered system of public verification and government accountability, poverty in the U.S. is treated largely as an individual failure rather than a structural problem. So if you fall into homelessness, the blame is on you, not the system that put you there."....
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