I think our freedoms and our lifestyle are things that are envied very much abroad.
IMO, not as much as we are led to believe. There doesn't seem to be any substantive difference in freedoms throughout the western world. And I've been unable to get anyone to be able to point them out. Lifestyles? I think we work more hours than the rest of the western world by the recent numbers that I saw. They take more vacation. I saw this AP wire yesterday on tourism...
newsday.com
Americans are the world's biggest-spending tourists, shelling out $60.1 billion in 1999, followed by Germans at $48.2 billion and Japanese at $32.8 billion, according to the World Tourism Organization.
Figure out the per capita expenditure for tourists. Which lifestyle do you prefer?
I saw a post earlier today on Canada. The brilliant dude stated it was true that the US has had more freedoms than Canada [without explanation] and that Canada was going bankrupt with socialized medicine. I imagine the readers of that thread agreed with that particular post since it was unchallenged. Frankly, I can't think of any freedoms that the US has that Canada doesn't. ..but lets take a quick look at health care.
Canda spends: [in Euros]
Total national expenditure on health as share of GDP in 1997 9.20 %
Expenditure on in-patient care (per capita, PPP in 1996) 844
Expenditure on out-patient care (per capita, PPP in 1996) 495
For that Canada gets:
Life expectancy (1996)
at birth, females 81.40
at birth, males 75.70
For the US.[in Euros]
Total national expenditure on health as share of GDP in 1997 13.90 %
Per capita expenditure (1996)
Expenditure on in-patient care (per capita, PPP in 1996)1535
Expenditure on out-patient care (per capita, PPP in 1996)
For that the US gets:
Life expectancy (1996)
at birth, females 79.40
at birth, males 72.70
Whose numbers do you like better? And is what is the validity of the statement that Canada is going bankrupt with socialized medicine?
Numbers available at: reformmonitor.org
But back to the choices. It appears that this Administration is picking Choice B and lining itself up to repeat the variations of Choice A. I do hope that I turn out to be wrong.
BTW: Reagan had 39 vetoes and 39 pocket vetoes which puts him at the 8th position for the President to most frequently use his veto power. [nine were overturned by the Senate.]
jttmab
Third World. They think about surviving through the end of the day. Not a lot of energy or time to have envy. |
