"We're Number 37" song shows mediocrity of U.S. health care

Why are so many people in the United States so eager to keep this country mired in mediocrity -- #37 in the world -- when it comes to our underperforming, yet wildly costly, health care non-system?

Beats me.

I just wish each and every one of those opposed to health care reform would take three minutes away from watching Fox News and expose themselves to some truth for a change.

In the form of a You Tube music video by Paul Hipp.

I loved it! And, yes, it's truly true. OK, "mostly true" according to the well-respected PolitiFact web site.

But that's a heck of a lot truer than the lies being spread around by the We're #37 and let's keep it that way! folks.

Problem is, the health insurance industry can generate a heck of a lot of untruthiness for $700,000 a day in lobbying cash. 

I was watching CNBC last week and heard one of their financial genius anchors utter an amazing bit of absurdity.

He opined that health care is a growth industry and the United States should want much more, not less, money spent on it. Currently we spend about 16% of our GNP on health care. This guy thought that a third wouldn't be too much.

Crazy.

If all that money really bought a commensurate amount of health and happiness for Americans, his stance would be more defensible.

But when we already spend a whole lot more per capita than any other industrialized country, and that's gotten us a world health care ranking just below Costa Rica, more of the same sure isn't the solution.

Unless our goal is to be able to sing, "We're Number 137."

Comments

[tucson]

Commentary on Obama's recent health care speech:

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2009/09/14/rebutting-obamas-health-care-speech/#more-634

[Blogger Brian]

tucson, Morris makes some valid points. Health care reform is tricky. There are lots of pitfalls to be taken account of, such as the lack of primary care providers.

To my mind the big question is whether reform is going to make things generally better, not whether every problem with our health care system is going to be fixed, or whether new problems will pop up.

[tucson]

Yes, but they should make sure that the reform measures don't take the U.S. from 37th to 59th which is a possibility if it isn't done carefully.

[Wayne White]

Medicare for all...period

[tucson]

Roger provided this link regarding health care. A good read. Maybe an important read:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204518504574416623109362480.html