Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Give me liberty, and give me death















Once again, those Frenchie snobs kick our ass.

Bill O'Reilly must be rolling over in his grave.

France, Japan and Australia rated best and the United States worst in new rankings focusing on preventable deaths due to treatable conditions in 19 leading industrialized nations, researchers said on Tuesday.

If the U.S. health care system performed as well as those of those top three countries, there would be 101,000 fewer deaths in the United States per year, according to researchers writing in the journal Health Affairs.
Ouch, neocons, that number's gotta hurt. Just imagine all the extra battalions you would've had for the next surge! And Iran, too!
"I wouldn't say it (the last-place ranking) is a condemnation, because I think health care in the U.S. is pretty good if you have access. But if you don't, I think that's the main problem, isn't it?" Nolte said in a telephone interview.
Then it's a good thing health care access in the United States is the best in the world. I don't know how many times I've told you unbelieving fuckers that the immoral corporate con game free market solves all problems!
The researchers compared these rankings with rankings for the same 19 countries covering the period of 1997 and 1998. France and Japan also were first and second in those rankings, while the United States was 15th, meaning it fell four places in the latest rankings.

All the countries made progress in reducing preventable deaths from these earlier rankings, the researchers said. These types of deaths dropped by an average of 16 percent for the nations in the study, but the U.S. decline was only 4 percent.
They fell 16 percent whereas we only fell four? We fell less than they did, hence, we win! There's your mathematical facts, potsmoking liberal wonks!

USA! USA! USA!

20 comments:

Mary Ellen said...

Oh crap...I hate it when the Frenchies do better at anything, they're really a pain in the ass sometimes. I'll have to stay off the French blogs for a few days until this blows over.

It's too bad there is only one candidate who is running that wants universal health care, Edwards...and he doesn't have much of a chance to win.

I don't see those stats changing much in the future. But, hey...we have a really cool flag and God blesses us and no one else...and dinosaurs lived with the cavemen...and we are really good at war startin' and most of all, we ain't no socialists! Yeeeeehaaaaw! God Bless America!

Anonymous said...

Don't get me started. The healthcare system pisses me off immensely. My parents are still paying off my sister's operation twenty-some years ago and they HAD health coverage. It's all a load of shit...motherfucking shit. The (enter pharmaceutical and/or HMO here) can take their healthcare system --which is supposed to HELP people with terminal whatever -- and shove it up their asses. Meanwhile, average american joe with or without health coverage will have to lube up and practise bending over if they ever are diagnosed with anything other than a cold.

Tom Harper said...

What's with all this anti-American rhetoric? America is Number One and she has the best Goddamn health care system in the world. If those lazy sick people want access to it, they can just damn well stop whimpering and pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Who Hijacked Our Country

TomCat said...

That's not fair, Randal. Someone Bushwhacked our country.

pissed off patricia said...

But, but, but, we can kill more people in wars than anyone else. How about that? Don't we win that contest?

Randal Graves said...

ME, universal health care? Why would the universe need medicine? It's so big! It's honestly amazing how this is such an anathema to them, but when some über-corporation needs its ass saved, the CEO just doesn't have his or her hand out, but backs up in a giant fucking truck.

Colleen, hell, Bush himself pretty much said as much a few years ago when there was that flu shot shortage: just don't get sick. You know, if there WAS universal health care, some fuckers might indeed abuse it. SO FUCKING WHAT. The vast, vast majority won't, and I'd rather have that money "wasted" here than over in Iraq where only some Halliburton/KBR fuck uses it to jet off to some high-class Dubai prostitution ring.

Tom Harper, you forgot to mention that the bootstraps are made of gold!

tomcat, I certainly hope that wasn't a shot at Der Leader!

POP, I think that's a Nobel Prize category. Most asskickingest military. When you absolutely, positively must have it blown up overnight!

Dr. Zaius said...

Yay! We're number 1!

PoliShifter said...

Ah, healthcare is for pussies...

Real Men (aka Republican Men) just spray some bactine on it, slap a bandaid on and keep going.

And the real tough guys like Chuck Norris rub a little salt in the wound for good measure.

Doctors, who needs'em...

Oh wait, Dick Cheney...

Randal Graves said...

Dr. Zaius, it's a great feeling, isn't it?

Poli, no, no, no, Cheney doesn't need doctors. Evil constructs don't need doctors, just programmers and mechanics.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I have some rage.

Blank said...

We know how to put the peasants in their place!

But really, why is it okay for corporations to determine our healthcare policy and not our ELECTED government? Explain that to me.

B said...

Yeah, we have such a messed up approach to healthcare. It's truly not that difficult to figure out. We are the United States! For such a "superpower" we look ridiculous when it comes to healthcare (and many, MANY other things). Ugh.

Randal Graves said...

Colleen, deservedly so.

SWB, oh, and I suppose you don't think that colossal oil companies shouldn't be making our energy policy and all but writing or foreign policy? Pshaw!

b, you're right, we have the money. We would rather spend on blowing the fuck out of other people, I suppose.

s. douglas said...

I almost choked on my Freedom Toast after reading this post.

Betty Carlson said...

Randall, I ran into that article too and didn't have time to write a brilliant, or even mediocre, post about it like you did -- I'll let you guess which I mean!

Here's more fuel for your fire:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080108/lf_afp/ushealthfrancemortality_080108191353

Basically the same info, but with a great title!

Randal Graves said...

fairlane, at least you weren't eating an Egg-A-Mooby Muffin.

betty c, I'll pretend you meant brilliant. But your link didn't work!

Betty Carlson said...

Randall -- I don't know why -- I copied it right, as far as I know. I'll try to make a quick post to link to both of the articles on And So Forth sometime today.

Anonymous said...

The link worked pour moi.

Betty Carlson said...

I made the little postlet to And So Forth, with another hook...anyway, I just liked the "dead last" in the title.

http://and-so-forth.blogspot.com/2008/01/can-you-blame-them.html

Randal Graves said...

Ah, there we go. It works now. Temporarily afflicted with stupid-itis, I suppose!