Socialism

The problem with "the socialist / communist countries" is that capitalist social relations, especially production relations, were not abolished in those territories. In China, the Soviet Union or Cuba, wage labour and commodities continue to exist, despite doing so in different forms than in the West. I would not therefore say that these countries are an example of communism. The only thing that changes is the way capitalism is managed.

Having said that, I think that once the communist ideal is reached, through the insurrection, consumerism will diminish. Obviously, this fall in consumerism, from a capitalist perspective, could be seen as poverty, because they do not take into account the sustainability of the planet and its resources. As for health: Medicine and health have become one more commodity in this capitalist system. I think we need to recover community self-care to avoid medical iatrogenesis and we need to eliminate the root cause of the social, economic, hygienic, etc., aspects that make our bodies and minds sick. This is what Ivan Illich talks about in "Medical Nemesis," a book I recommend.