How bad is our healthcare? Waynes World memes and more.
Hey Friends,
Good morning and happy gerrymandering week. Since we’re finally through the pandemic (LOL), I’ve prepared an in-depth article about the American healthcare system which is not awesome. More on that later.
But first, the news.
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Thanks for reading!
Hot Takes
Week 38 of 2021
Here, I’ll give you the week’s most important news and link you to more information from a “reputable” news source.This is what’s up this week.
- The first subpoenas have been issued to Trump aids and loyalists relating to the January 6th insurrection. Unrelated, Shaggy’s song “It Wasn’t Me” was released this time 21 years ago. This story is breaking news.
- The UN General Assembly took place on Tuesday. The Taliban looked like Wayne and Garth showing off their backstage passes only to get “denied”.
- Anyway: In his speech, Biden informed the world leaders that “Bombs and bullets cannot defend against Covid-19 or its future variants.”. Attendees nodded their heads in agreement. (more)
- The Debt Ceiling is the topic of conversation in Congress right now. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer clashed with republicans, saying that the goal is to continue increasing the debt so often, the American People forget how much we really owe (paraphrased). (more)
- The Emmy’s were earlier this week. Now everyone knows they need to watch Ted Lasso and Mrs Lorem Ipsum can quit telling them. The Emmy’s also reminded us that the computer(?) manufacturer Apple is the biggest company in the world. (more)
- The Covid-19 Pandemic has killed more than the last major pandemic in 1918 in spite of our advancements in technology and medical care. On the bright side, it’s because we have more freedom than ever, evidenced by the US ranking #1 for the most unused vaccines. Experts suspect that we’ll be fine since the population is much higher now than it was in 2018 and 1918. (more)
- Gabby Petito’s murder has been followed by the world on social media. Her now ex-boyfriend Brian Laundrie (who is sorry for speeding) has a federal warrant out for his arrest as the prime suspect. The lesson Instagram influencers have learned: choose a good font for your tragic disappearances. (more)
That’s it for the news. Here’s The Gist.
US Healthcare is The Worst!
The Gist
Your view of the American healthcare system is probably relative to your current personal experience. This includes your means to pay for healthcare, but also your specific healthcare needs. For example, if you have reasonable health insurance, no outstanding bills and your teeth are relatively straight, you may have a more rosie view than someone with an overbite that is filing bankruptcy due to overwhelming medical debt.
The data tells us the USA is not doing very well on the national stage.
We’re taking a lot of cakes, no pun intended.
According to The Peterson Center on Healthcare, The Kaiser Family Foundation, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and an S ton of other data sources, we win the following awards:
- Most spending on healthcare
- Lowest life expectancy
- Highest suicide rates
- Highest chronic disease burden
- Highest rate of obesity
- And more!
So, while that may not alone determine our worst-ness, it is damning evidence. Perhaps the solution is the one that has been tested and proven over and over. Or perhaps you’d prefer an idealistic solution that has yet to work?
Thanks, everyone. See you next week!