Good and bad

In the January 14, 2207, issue of Parade magazine there is an article by David Wallechinsky about where America leads the world and where it doesn't. It's interesting that we lead the world in Billionaires, Olympic medals, internet users, Nobel prize winners, Military abroad, roads, Airports, and Gold reserves.

We are lacking in some areas that surprised me. Out of 172 nations, 43 countries have more physicians than we do. 33 countries have a lower infant death rate. 27 countries have a longer male life expectancy, and 29 countries have a longer female life expectancy. We have the 15th highest murder rate, and the highest per capita rate of people in prison. 71 countries have more women in national legislatures. And on voting, we are 139th. out of 172 on eligible citizens who vote.

If you don't get a Sunday newspaper, I would like to cite some other figures from this article. We spend more money per person on health care a year ($5,700) than any country, and a greater percentage of of gross domestic product (more than 15%) goes to health care. 33 nations, including Cuba, have a lower infant death rate and 28 have a lower maternal death rate. We consume more calories per capita than the citizens of any other nation, and we lead the world in the prevalence of obesity.

We have a greater rate of incarceration and we perform the fourth-highest number of executions. And we have an unusually high rate of violent crime. Of the 53 countries for which there are reliable statistics, only South Africa and Canada have higher rape rates. The U.S. also has the third-highest rate of major assaults and the 15th-highest murder rate.
For the entire article on the web go to Parade magazine.

You can draw your own conclusions, as I have.