Americans spend $5,267 per capita on health care every year, almost two and half times the industrialized world’s median of $2,193; the extra spending comes to hundreds of billions of dollars a year. What does that extra spending buy us? Americans have fewer doctors per capita than most Western countries. We go to the doctor less than people in other Western countries. We get admitted to the hospital less frequently than people in other Western countries. We are less satisfied with our health care than our counterparts in other countries. American life expectancy is lower than the Western average. Childhood-immunization rates in the United States are lower than average. Infant-mortality rates are in the nineteenth percentile of industrialized nations

The counter point to this perspective usually consists of "sick people aren't my problem" or "wealthy people get more convenient healthcare in the US then in Canada." I am constantly amazed to talk to Americans who actually beleive that Canada is a socialist country. This spin is the product of Rush Limbaugh's rantings during the Clinton years. "Socialism is bad, right? Thats what the communists did, and they were evil!"

The American healthcare system is both heavily regulated and wealth redistributed. Its just as socialist as anyone else's healthcare system. But it has the additional feature of generating a class of people with serious medical problems who are too sick to work and therefore don't get to participate in the wealth redistribution. Oh, and its more convenient for the wealthy because they never have to wait in line behind someone with a more serious problem unless they are at an ER. And its a hell of a lot more expensive.

Gripping onto a ideology for ideology's sake while it is literally killing you seems the very definition of irrational behavior. On the issue the United States is like the last guy back in the hood in New Orleans, sitting on his couch with a foot of standing water in his living room, slowly succumbing to the E.Coli because its his damn town and he'll be damned if he is gunna leave, even after everyone else is long gone...

Sounds like the Administration wants to get up off the couch and go for a swim. Don't worry about Europe hating us. If we keep going down this path they'll be laughing at us instead.

[They won't be laughing, they'll be sending us aid as a third world country.]

The New Yorker: The Moral Hazard Myth

Johnny White's is famous for never closing, even during a hurricane. The doors don't even have locks.

Since the storm, it has become more than a bar. Along with the warm beer and shots, the bartenders passed out scrounged military Meals Ready to Eat and bottled water to the people who drive the mule carts, bus the tables and hawk the T-shirts that keep the Quarter's economy humming.

"It's our community center," said Marcie Ramsey, 33, whom Katrina promoted from graveyard shift bartender to acting manager.

Amazing! Behold the power of beer!

French Quarter Holdouts Create 'Tribes'

The FDA on Friday postponed indefinitely its decision on whether to allow the morning-after pill, called Plan B, to sell without a prescription. The agency said it was safe for adults to use without a doctor's guidance but that young teenagers still needed a prescription and it couldn't determine how to enforce an age limit — a decision contrary to the advice of its own scientific advisers.

Considering the science says there isn't a problem with people under 18 to use it, I guess the reason they say this is the Jesusnuts don't want to believe anyone has sex?

FDA Official Quits Over Plan B Pill Delay - Yahoo! News

Okay nothing fancy, I just felt like starting a pool for what gas prices will be as on Labor Day. Taking Katrina into consideration, I'll guess $3.15.

No prizes or anything, I can't afford gas now, so I'm glad I bought that bicycle!

"There are a number of ways of taking out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted by the AP, but that happens all the time."

How about Chavez being the elected president of Venezuela Pat? How about we tried to run a military coup on the guy and failed? How about you go back to doing what you know, which is bilking senior citizens out of their social security checks.

Pat Robertson Says He Was Misinterpreted - Yahoo! News

"What this is about is the degradation of the scientific method. If we allow preconceived, hopelessly biased arguments to be taught as science - WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE TRUE - we are weakening the scientific method, and we're putting everyone who relies on science - all of us - at risk."

This is exactly why ID is bad. Science might not be provable, but it IS disprovable. ID is not provable and by the way it is defined can also never be disproved. That makes it not science, and something that has as much business in a science classroom as alchemy or astrology.

Spaghetti Monster Stringing Us Along

"Weapons clearly, unambiguously from Iran have been found in Iraq," he told a Pentagon briefing. "It's a big border. It's notably unhelpful for the Iranians to allow weapons of those types to cross the border." He did not provide further specifics.

Rummy, it's hit the point where you've cried "Wolf!" so many times I don't know whether you're telling the truth or not, and it doesn't matter because I'm not listening anymore. Find someone reputable that says it too.

Rumsfeld: Some Iraq Arms Come From Iran

Now THIS is a useful site!

My Life Is Beer!: Beers From United States

The outing of Valerie seemed intended to send a not-so-subtle message to other potential critics, "Mess with us, and we'll mess with your family."

A bit more personal note on this fiasco.

A neighbor's view of Valerie Wilson's 'outing'

But House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, who shepherded the bill through the House, said sunset provisions were not necessary because there was no evidence the Patriot Act was being misused and lawmakers could provide sufficient oversight.

Oh. My. God. It's worse that I ever could have imagined.

One amendment that did pass overwhelmingly requires the FBI director to personally approve any FBI requests for bookstore or library records of suspected terrorists. Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, it passed 402-26.

Yeah, because I can seriously picture the freaking director of the FBI taking stock of each and every request for his sig that hits his desk.

Director: "More papers to sign, Jerry?"
Secretary: "Yes, sir, right where I've put the sticky arrows."

-janelane, expatriate

I think one thing that is overlooked in this is that Sensenbrenner is considered to be the right's answer to, well, I have a hard time thinking of anyone as far to the left as Jim is to the right, not even Ted. He's the one who held up the Intelligence Act because he wanted to attach immigration riders to it. He's the same one who, when presented by Amnesty International quoting FBI documents abouts abuses at Camp X-Ray, Abu Gharib and Bagram, simply didn't want to hear it, gaveled the meeting closed and walked off.

His saying there was no evidence saying it had been abused is like Bagdahd Bob saying that the Americans are losing.

RE: Patriot Act Extended