Reply to UK, Italy, France quality decline, now poorer than all 50 states

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]France has higher and more evenly distributed median household income.  So the average person is arguably better off in France.  But the socialism that ensures that has probably restricted their growth in terms of industry and technology, which we have in abundance, thanks to the 1%, but whose benefit does not trickle down to our majority.  It’s a tricky dance to encourage free markets but also encourage benefits for all.  No one has a perfect model for this. [/quote]

French median income is 23k euros a year, or $27,000. American median income is $63,000. Median means half make more, half makes less. [/quote]

Income is a narrow measure.   Life expectancy in France is 4.7 years higher than in the USA and 9 years higher than in Alabama and France has much higher literacy than the USA (#PaulKrugman).  They also have far more vacation time and mandated parental leave of approximately 1 year where the USA has none.[/quote]

So you now don't deny Americans are much richer? You're just coming up with different metrics, aka changing goalposts. I have no idea what literacy rates means in this context. It's a straw man argument that serves no real purpose beyond a misleading "gotcha" that also tells us nothing. I delved into the matter and it seems more complex than you might think. France boasts a 99% literary rate, officially, but at same time French reports acknowledges at least 10% of adults struggle with basic literacy and as many as 28% score below level 1 in literacy, meaning they struggle with complex information. Which means using the American definition of literacy, its not really that different. And I don't doubt that a lot of it also comes down to how each country captures its ESL populations.

The point about life expectancy is real and the only serious one worth exploring. Americans by and large have national problems with obesity and chronic diseases. But those reflect lifestyle, not a failure of health care. [/quote]

That lower life expectancy in the USA is not linked to structural issues with our health care system, is your opinion, not a fact, and not a particularly well-educated opinion.   Try reading some actual research articles that link Americans' lower life expectancy to access to health care:

https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/whats-behind-shocking-u-s-life-expectancy-decline-and-what-to-do-about-it/
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/quality-u-s-healthcare-system-compare-countries/

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NP-I think this is very mixed data. The US has fewer GPs, but also more specialist options. In many countries you use a GP for most things because there is a shortages of specialists and you need a very strong reason to be allowed to see one to not overburden the system. In the US you can bypass all that and see five specialists for your personal needs, and no GP.

And many of the data points are more indicative of a population in poorer general health, which affects outcomes, than of poor medical care. Mortality is lower for heart attacks and strokes, and post op complications which also goes in that sense. Pregnancy and complications are affected by the health of the mother. ER data is more about cost than outcomes. Canada has a greater problem in that area, due to doctor shortages rather than cost.[/quote]

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