Why is America so far behind?

Question

Many other countrys have cheaper healthcare and medications. Most other countries have more anvanced infrastructures and a better quality of life... Why??? Why can't we keep up?

Answer 1

Because we are too conservative/fascist.

We spend a huge amount on corporate welfare, and all that money given to corporations is a tremendous burden for our society to shoulder. Especially defense-related corporations. We spend more on defense than every other nation on earth combined. Many many times more on defense than on education. That creates even more financial hardship because ignorant uneducated people are expensive to govern. They have babies they cant afford, make poor choices (like smoking) that tax our health care system, etc.

USA Ranking on Adult Literacy Scale: #9
(#1 Sweden and #2 Norway)- OECD

USA Ranking on Healthcare Quality Index: #37
(#1 France and #2 Italy)- World Health Organization 2003

USA Ranking of Student Reading Ability: #12
(#1 Finland and #2 South Korea)- OECD PISA 2003

USA Ranking of Student Problem Solving Ability: #26
(#1 South Korea and #2 Finland)- OECD PISA 2003

USA Ranking on Student Mathematics Ability: # 24
(#1 Hong Kong and #2 Finland)- OECD PISA 2003

USA Ranking of Student Science Ability: #19
(#1 Finland and #2 Japan)- OECD PISA 2003

USA Ranking on Women's Rights Scale: #17
(#1 Sweden and #2 Norway)- World Economic Forum Report

USA Position on Timeline of Gay Rights Progress: # 6 (1997)
(#1 Sweden 1987 and #2 Norway 1993)- Vexen

USA Ranking on Life Expectancy: #29
(#1 Japan and #2 Hong Kong)- UN Human Development Report 2005

USA Ranking on Journalistic Press Freedom Index: #32
(#1 Finland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands tied)- Reporters Without Borders 2005

USA Ranking on Political Corruption Index: #17
(#1 Iceland and #2 Finland)- Transparency International 2005

USA Ranking on Quality of Life Survey: #13
(#1 Ireland and #2 Switzerland)- The Economist Magazine ...Wikipedia "Celtic Tiger" if you still have your doubts.

USA Ranking on Environmental Sustainability Index: #45
(#1 Finland and #2 Norway)- Yale University ESI 2005

USA Ranking on Overall Currency Strength: #3 (US Dollar)
(#1 UK pound sterling and #2 European Union euro)- FTSE 2006....the dollar is now a liability, so many banks worldwide have planned to switch to euro

USA Ranking on Infant Mortality Rate: #32
(#1 Sweden and #2 Finland)- Save the Children Report 2006

USA Ranking on Human Development Index (GDP, education, etc.): #10
(#1 Norway and #2 Iceland)- UN Human Development Report 2005

Answer 2

Yea I agree health care is in sad shape these days. but........
"Most other countries have more anvanced infrastructures and a better quality of life.." LOL Have you seen the condition of the African Continent lately?

The top ten
1. France
2. Switzerland
3. Australia
4. Denmark
5. New Zealand
6. Austria
7. United States
8. Sweden
9. Finland
10. Italy

Answer 3

Compare apples to apples.

Size wise we are a HUGE country... so for 'advanced' infrastructure
we rate well... although loss of train an bus routes connecting cities a shame. Although getting older in road infrastructure for size we are in pretty good shape in comparision to India or China.

Healthcare is great here... if in rich position(like owners of for fee hospitals) or if in need and able to afford the best... it is a system NOT as overwhelmed as most countries BUT stuctured to favor those with money. Just like most of the planets legal systems. The ones with the gold have access to the best of both.

For a money driven society(more and more driven by LARGE international corporations) in the pursuit of profits AND the American dream with its possibility of great financial reward and security this is not too surprising. We all want better for our kids.

Better fed, better drinking water, flexible demography and a willingness to exploit all available resources(including people)
puts a dear dollar value on everything. And yet the general population is fat and lazy(and oddly unfulfilled).

Can America do better? Almost certainly. Are we headed that way? Almost certainly NOT.

Every couple hundred years the question of money/exchanger/ etc comes up. along with why bad preventable things that are NOT prevented... what is the value of a single life? Is it the same for the dying infant as it is for an Einstein or Mozart?

Mostly, I believe, here in America as in elsewheres, that the daily struggle to survive overwhelms the greater questions. A solution is simple... and may be found within the Torah, the Bible, or the Quran.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Perhaps you need to go live in some of these other countries for a while and then rethink your position! While healthcare financing here IS a problem that needs to be addressed, you'd rather be a patient here, you'll get more current and effective treatment (at a price). You also enjoy a far higher standard of living than in most countries in Asia or Europe. As for infrastructure, geography is what dictates this and not anything else; Most smaller countries have much denser populations, (Britain has a fifth the population of the US living in less space than two states take up) so, for instance, higher quality public transport becomes feasible.

If you don't like it, leave! (By the way, that's something else you can't do in many countries!)

Answer 5

I don't know that we are behind. All of these rankings are relative. We independently choose to have a good quality of life. As for health, we are exploring the flaws in others' health care systems before inserting them into our situation. Right now, people are coming up with new ways to better integrate and develop health systems to help more people. Take Massachusetts as an example.

Answer 6

Really Where!!! Honestly where!!! Please provide proof in your source list....

Do you think Canada or Switzerland can afford universal healthcare if it had 290 million people...
If so, do you think the African Americans will agree to a 20% tax hike?!??!?!? Those fu*kers could barely afford the property tax!!

How will the US get the Money for healthcare to 290 million people? Magic?!?!??!

Advance intrastructures??? Are you kidding?!?!?
Have you seen our interstate highway system and how long it is?
Do you think other countries could afford to maintain a complex highway system similar to ours??!?!?!

Have you seen our libraries???? Many have free (YES FREE) internet access!!!!

A better quality of life???? I don't even get the cold here!!!!
And I have a full stomach, a roof over my head, a great job, and I go out and have fun three or four times a week... ALL this and more money....
Change the dosage on your meds, pal...

Answer 7

That's not always true.

As far as health care and medicines, it's because of all the lawsuits and malpractise and judgements against drug companies for things like IUDs, breast implants, etc.

They are charging back these judgements (and the losses they cause) to the consumer.

The SAME exact drug company sells the SAME exact drug in Canada for $10 per 100 tabs that sells for $100 for 100 tabs in America

So, they are taking $90 a wholesale bottle in America to cover libability insurance, lawyers fees and losses caused by billion dollar class actions suts they DON'T get in Canada, England or Mexico!

Answer 8

Yes we need socialized medicine. The problem is that the pharmaceutical companies have a huge lobbying presence and are totally out of control in markups of medication. Some medications are marked up hundreds of thousands percent. We just saw a movie called "Side Effects" about the pharmaceutical companies. It was tongue in cheek, some little known stars but informative and entertaining. rented it from Netflix. The countries health care system needs to be totally overhauled.

Answer 9

You are going to have to be more specific? Which country?
If that is true why do they bring difficult surgurys to the USA.
Like those twins that were born connected.
If you think Mexico is think again? Africa? there medical equipment is almost non existant.
Canada I hear is pretty good. But you can die waiting for a surgeon. Need more information?

Answer 10

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