(Or how the U.S. has become an exception to exceptionalism.) Of twelve measures of quality of life , the U.S. ranks last in eight, when compared with 20 other democratic, developed countries. We have the highest rates of mental illness, drug use, infant mortality, obesity, teenage pregnancy, homicide, and people in prison. And, according to USF Professor Edward Renner, income inequality is the culprit, with the U.S. Having the largest gap of all the studied countries.
The Gini coefficient ( yes, master) is the measure of income inequality, and when it gets too high, the nation becomes inefficient and social structures break down. So, what's the remedy? Look to the countries that rank ahead of us, such as Japan, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. (Below are some beautiful fjords to help you visualize.)
The OWS people will love this: among the cures are a steeper progressive tax system, government-sponsored universal health care, and a much-reduced standing military. Now don't start calling me a Socialist, I'm just reporting the realities.
So, if we want to regain our quality of life, we've got a lot of tough decisions to make and a lot of tough work to do. We can stop the slide.
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