Constantine, Of course, many people in Maine are happy campers too, with less pollution and more woods.
I do not feel these countries are any the less than France of Germany, where they also have good medical coverage.
The universal problem with 'free' goods like medical servives is there are no barriers to consumption and so people over consume the resource.
This happens in Greece, Canada, UK, France etc where there are waits for services.
In the USA you can get a doctor right away if you have the cash or coverage.
With no coverage you fall between the cracks into the nether world of charity clinics, or the state clinics who make sure you are fully broke before you enter.
Even the US system is breaking as the costs of these services increase as the population ages.
As for longevity, the Japanese live almost as long as the upper middle class Americans, but the average American lives fewer years that the average Japanese. This is due to the fact that Japan is almost a monoculture, yet the USA has several diverse racial groups, some of which have a lower average life span. Greece is also closer to being a monoculture than the USA.
The USA level of consumption is higher, more gas, more fumes and more stuff you can buy with your daily wages.
Bill |
