This is from last year, but still very relevant. Here is an article from Foreign Policy that refers to a table from the IMF listing countries in terms of various measures of social and educational characteristics. Look at the table (linked from the story). The US is much worse in most categories than many third-world countries and almost all second-world countries.
Considering our current death panel/insurance company system we spend more on health care (by several miles) than any other country and yet have a decidedly third-world life expectancy. Is that maybe because only about half the adult population in the US is covered and can afford the 'cadillac' health care system we have built?
The real interesting part of the article to me though is the introduction of defense spending into the equation. The amount the US spends on defense is truly obscene...particularly for what we don't get. Remember the US military has not had a 'victory' in a significant war since World War II.
Interesting also is that the US spends almost exactly the same amount as Canada and Australia on social programs for its people (measured as a % of GDP)...but the results as you can see are obviously vastly different.
Yesiree..we can blow up any country in the world we want to many times over...but provide health care to our citizens...or even a world-ready education to our children??? Not so much...
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