Growing American Inequality

UPDATE: The New York Times also has an article that looks at the health care system in the USA that looks at a lot of failings even though Americans spend more than twice as much on healthcare costs as in other nations. That story can be found here.

*

One thing that has struck me for many years - and often was an outright embarrassment at times when I traveled extensively overseas as in-house counsel based on the boorish behavior or moronic statements of some Americans - was the blind belief by some Americans that the USA is superior to all other countries and that there is only one perspective on issues: their own. Worse yet, no objective data can convince them that maybe, just maybe, they might need to re-evaluate. Not surprisingly, many of these folks are the same crowd that has remained in the GOP and blindly supported the Chimperator and his failed policies. Am I anti-America? No, definitely not. I am however, against closed minds and stupidity. A new story in the Independent gives plenty of reasons why Americans need to wake up and open their eyes. Some of the data and statistics are quite revealing, if not outright shocking. Sadly, under the Chimperator's regime NOTHING has been done to change this situation. I doubt McCain would do any better. Before one can fix a problem, you need to recognize that it exists. Simply not wanting something to be true does not make it untrue. Here are some highlights.

*

The United States of America is becoming less united by the day. A 30-year gap now exists in the average life expectancy between Mississippi, in the Deep South, and Connecticut, in prosperous New England. Huge disparities have also opened up in income, health and education depending on where people live in the US, according to a report published yesterday. The American Human Development Index has applied to the US an aid agency approach to measuring well-being – more familiar to observers of the Third World – with shocking results.

*

Despite an almost cult-like devotion to the belief that unfettered free enterprise is the best way to lift Americans out of poverty, the report points to a rigged system that does little to lessen inequalities. "The report shows that although America is one of the richest nations in the world, it is woefully behind when it comes to providing opportunity and choices to all Americans to build a better life," the authors said. Some of its more shocking findings reveal that, in parts of Texas, the percentage of adults who pass through high school has not improved since the 1970s. Asian-American males have the best quality of life and black Americans the lowest, with a staggering 50-year life expectancy gap between the two groups.

*

Despite the fact that the US spends roughly $5.2bn (£2.6bn) every day on health care, more per capita than any other nation in the world, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of every western European and Nordic country, bar Denmark.

*

"Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living," said Sarah Burd-Sharps co-author of the report.