Sunday, March 27, 2011

We Are No Longer What We Claim We Are & Everyone Knows It

So why are we bombing sand & not doing what needs to be done in America?  Oil profits for one. Here are the sad realities. 

the highest poverty rate, both generally and for children

the greatest inequality of incomes;

the smallest amount of government spending (as a percentage of GDP) on social programs for the disadvantaged;

the lowest number of paid holidays, annual leave days and maternity leave days;
 

the lowest score on the UN's index of material well-being of children;

the worst score on the UN's gender inequality index;

the lowest social mobility (i.e. in America, more members of the lower and middle class remain stuck in that class than ever before);

the highest public and private expenditure on health care (as a portion of GDP), and yet accompanied by:

-the highest infant mortality rate

-the greatest prevalence of mental health problems

-the highest obesity rate


-the largest percentage of people going without health care due to cost

-the greatest number of low birth weight children per capita

-the greatest consumption of anti-depressants per capita

-the shortest life expectancy at birth (except for Portugal)

My emphases. These facts make it difficult to be proud of America.

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