U.S. DROPS TO 29TH IN THE WORLD IN INFANT MORTALITY

Thomas Riggins

Today's New York Times reports that infant mortality has "long been considered one of the most important indicators of the health of a nation and the quality of its medical system." We also spend more money on medical care per capita than any of the countries that have lower rates of infant mortality. The U.S. now ranks 29th in the world, down from 12th in 1960. This is proof positive that our privatized system really stinks. Conservatives will rejoice to know that according to the figures released today in the NYT, from the U.S.'s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, EVERY country that was presented in Michael Moore's movie SICKO as having a better medical system than the U.S. had in fact lower infant mortality rates. The countries that SICKO profiled were the USA (with a horrible health system) and the following nations that beat the USA in terms of health care with regards to infant mortality--in order: France, England, Canada, and CUBA. Would SOCIALIZED MEDICINE be good for the USA? You better believe it. Maybe the McCain supporters and others opposed to a single payer system will argue that by letting more babies die we are doing our bit to keep down the world population. We actually let them die so the private medical insurance companies and drug companies can make bigger profits.