Troy Bunch said:
As of 2005, according to the “Economist Intelligence Unit”, the US ranked 13th in the quality of life index. Many of those countries that ranked higher are social democracies.
The homicide rate in the United States is nearly three times as high as in Canada and slightly more than five times as high as in Germany. Most industrialized countries have homicide rates below ours. Overall the homicide rate in the US is similar to that of some lesser developed Eastern European countries.
The studies by the Commonwealth Fund found that the US health care system ranks last among other major rich countries for quality, access and efficiency, even though he US spends twice what the average industrialized country spends on health care.
US – number one in prisoner rate.
Nearly 46 million Americans, or 18 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2007.
In 2006, the poverty rate for minors in the United States was the highest in the industrialized world, with 21.9% of all living below the poverty threshold.
The number of uninsured children in 2007 was 8.1 million – or 10.7 percent of all children in the U.S.
The number of uninsured rose 2.2 million between 2005 and 2006 and has increased by almost 8 million people since 2000.
Over 8 in 10 uninsured people come from working families.
The graduation rate of US students is well below Australia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway.
American capitalism give the powerful a way to plunder existing wealth through takeovers, corporate restructuring, privatization and other financial maneuvers – rich getting richer, poor and middle class getting poorer; and we need less regulation.???
The Republicans shifted increasing amounts of risk to the average American. Of course they called it “choice,” “freedom” and “flexibility,” but as we can all see, it has created a reliance on risky defined-contribution pension plans—like 401(k)s, which Congress still hasn’t protected and regulated. Take a look at the growing number of people who have no pension plan at all.
We need change… that’s why we voted in a liberal Democrat. Love it, change it, or leave.
I have to agree with most of what you say, being a moderate. I have to say the Republican party has taken a serious turn for the worse in the past couple of decades. Not saying the Democrats have gotten much better. Seriously, the Republicans have fallen considerably farther by attempting to cater to the extreme right, rather than traditional conservative value holders. By traditional, I mean before the Bible thumpers infected the party, when small government and minding our/your own damn business was the word of the day.
I tend to vote about 50/50, the last time I was in the booth, more like 70/30 trending Democrat. Several local offices (Sheriff, Judges, County Selectmen) saw me voting Republican still as the local Republicans are more like the Barry Goldwaters of old....The Republican party needs to get off the religious fanatic kick before I can look at them seriously on a national level though. I am hoping that by me and others like me pulling Republican support, they will get the message...not likely though :S
[/QUOTE