4 ms·

Also unique to the US. We have one of the highest infant mortality rates of any developed country. And our average life expectancy is one of the lowest for a de

by yardie 7y ago

Also unique to the US. We have one of the highest infant mortality rates of any developed country. And our average life expectancy is one of the lowest for a developed country [0]. We could a lot less philanthropic billionaires and more economic policies that don't treat everyone as disposable cogs. [0] http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/life-expectancy-by-country/ http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/life-expectancy-b...

ALittleLight 7y ago
The high infant mortality is largely explained by the fact that the US counts premature birth related deaths as part of infant mortality and other countries don't. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161013103132.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161013103132.h... Life expectancy loss is mostly drugs and obesity. Hard to see how philanthropic billionaires are a problem on either front.
- arrosenberg 7y ago
  Drug abuse and obesity are generally a response to chronic stress. America has a chronic stress epidemic due to our work culture and lack of social safety nets. Philanthropic billionaires are people (or progeny of those) who successfully exploited this system. Ergo, the existence of one is correlated with the other, and they share a common cause.
  - ALittleLight 7y ago
    Has our work culture recently become more stressful or our safety nets diminished?
    - arrosenberg 7y ago
      Both, but probably more of the latter. Since the 70s the entire economy and society has been built for consumption and price optimization. That has resulted in both higher life stresses (more two income working households, most Americans have no savings, etc.) and encouraged politicians to cut safety nets which might have diminished the negative effects.
- arbitrary_name 7y ago
  The Sackler family is directly implicated in the 'drugs' part.
rayiner 7y ago
Life expectancy is a very complicated issue with many confounding factors: https://www.thebalance.com/the-racial-life-expectancy-gap-in-the-u-s-4588898 https://www.thebalance.com/the-racial-life-expectancy-gap-in... Asian Americans have a life expectancy of almost 87 years, longer than in any Asian country. Hispanic Americans have a life expectancy of almost 83 years, exceeded only by the richest Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Macau) and Monaco and Iceland.
hnick 7y ago
As an outsider looking in, many in the US seem to value charity over taxation. I can see why, though personally I'd rather send my money to those who (presumably, and hopefully) have a broad enough view of society to know where it is really needed.
- agensaequivocum 7y ago
  > I'd rather send my money to those who (presumably, and hopefully) have a broad enough view of society to know where it is really needed. The difference is that do not trust the government to know what's best nor, do what's best.
  - hnick 7y ago
    I would probably feel the same in the US, but I don't believe it as a general rule. It depends very much on the government in question.
- yardie 7y ago
  The government has many means tested requirements to determine if you really need it. Most charities only take action after the fact; after you are homeless, after you got severely ill. And they rely on a visual means test. They can feed the homeless on Thanksgiving but don’t have the resources for the other 364 days.

by yardie 7y ago

ALittleLight 7y ago

The high infant mortality is largely explained by the fact that the US counts premature birth related deaths as part of infant mortality and other countries don't. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161013103132.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161013103132.h... Life expectancy loss is mostly drugs and obesity. Hard to see how philanthropic billionaires are a problem on either front.

arrosenberg 7y ago
Drug abuse and obesity are generally a response to chronic stress. America has a chronic stress epidemic due to our work culture and lack of social safety nets. Philanthropic billionaires are people (or progeny of those) who successfully exploited this system. Ergo, the existence of one is correlated with the other, and they share a common cause.
- ALittleLight 7y ago
  Has our work culture recently become more stressful or our safety nets diminished?
  - arrosenberg 7y ago
    Both, but probably more of the latter. Since the 70s the entire economy and society has been built for consumption and price optimization. That has resulted in both higher life stresses (more two income working households, most Americans have no savings, etc.) and encouraged politicians to cut safety nets which might have diminished the negative effects.
arbitrary_name 7y ago
The Sackler family is directly implicated in the 'drugs' part.

rayiner 7y ago

Life expectancy is a very complicated issue with many confounding factors: https://www.thebalance.com/the-racial-life-expectancy-gap-in-the-u-s-4588898 https://www.thebalance.com/the-racial-life-expectancy-gap-in... Asian Americans have a life expectancy of almost 87 years, longer than in any Asian country. Hispanic Americans have a life expectancy of almost 83 years, exceeded only by the richest Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Macau) and Monaco and Iceland.

hnick 7y ago

As an outsider looking in, many in the US seem to value charity over taxation. I can see why, though personally I'd rather send my money to those who (presumably, and hopefully) have a broad enough view of society to know where it is really needed.

agensaequivocum 7y ago
> I'd rather send my money to those who (presumably, and hopefully) have a broad enough view of society to know where it is really needed. The difference is that do not trust the government to know what's best nor, do what's best.
- hnick 7y ago
  I would probably feel the same in the US, but I don't believe it as a general rule. It depends very much on the government in question.
yardie 7y ago
The government has many means tested requirements to determine if you really need it. Most charities only take action after the fact; after you are homeless, after you got severely ill. And they rely on a visual means test. They can feed the homeless on Thanksgiving but don’t have the resources for the other 364 days.