Boehner's health delusion - Op Ed

[liberal N proud]

By Richard Cohen
Washington Post

With a John Boehner speakership fast approaching, I dutifully read up on the man. I learned he is a Midwestern fellow, born (like us all) into the virtuous lower middle class, one of 12 siblings and a man whose early career, in an unironic homage to "The Graduate," was in plastics. What I did not know - what was missing entirely from my reading - is that he might be French.

Or Japanese. Or Finnish or British or even German. Whatever the case, this much is clear: No American, certainly not one about to occupy a leadership position in our government, could possibly call the American health-care system "the best health care system in the world." Boehner did just that last week. He was having an out-of-country experience.

For statistical refutation, we need only refer to the CIA's World Factbook (no lefty think tank, to be sure) and check the health statistics. The United States is 49th in life expectancy. Our proud nation bests the Libyans in this category but not Japan, France, Spain, Britain or, of course, Italy. You not only live about two years longer in Italy, but you eat better, too.

The same doleful situation applies to infant mortality. This is the saddest of all categories since it relates to infants who don't make it to their first birthday. The CIA tells us that the nations that do the worst in this category are, not surprisingly, mostly in Africa. Then comes much of Asia and parts of South America, but when you start getting up there a bit, Cuba does better than the United States and so do Italy, Hungary, Greece, Canada, Portugal, Britain, Australia and Israel, among others. This should be an embarrassment to us all - but, clearly, it is not. To Boehner, these figures - infants dying before they can get a cupcake with a single candle - don't exist. Rather than improve the situation, he might want to cut the CIA's appropriation.

<snip>

For Democrats, there's hope in Boehner's chirpy pronouncement. It shows a GOP out of touch with reality, a party of Marie Antoinettes, babbling total nonsense about health care.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/08/AR2010110804894.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline

[JoePhilly]

1. If you have a weeping orange Boehner, seek medical treatment immediately!!!

[Vincardog]

2. If your orange Boehner persists for more than 4 hours, seek medical treatment immediately!!!

[JoePhilly]

3. Sadly, America's weeping orange Boenher will last at least 2 years.

[opihimoimoi]

4. The Limp Wimp is no Boner....more like a Moaner

[liberal N proud]

5. Then we must peel him

[JoePhilly]

10. Disgusting ... but +1

[subterranean]

6. It is the best health care system in the world in terms of profitability.

That's how the Boehner and his ilk measure the value of everything: how much profit and wealth it generates for the investing class. By that measure, our health care system is second to none.

[cutlassmama]

7. Just wait until he gets chirrosis of the liver

if he doesn't already have it. Let's see how great the healthcare is then.

[RC]

9. For him it will be good. He can afford it.

[Whisp]

8. '''He was having an out-of-country experience. '''

:rofl: