[extropy-chat] Extinctions

[Lee Corbin]

Martin writes

> > Mostly aided by lifestyle problems like lack of
> > exercise, overeating and eating the wrong food, smoking, cars, guns,
> > alcohol, etc.
> 
> The study that I cited in the other email also states that
> smoking-related illnesses are down, not just among smokers, but among
> non-smokers as well.  They blame both the decrease in smoking rates
> (overall drop from ~35% in the 1950s to 23% today), AND the recent
> popularity of smoking bans.  Apparently the drop in smoking-related
> illnesses among non-smokers can't be accounted for by a drop in
> smoking rates alone.
> 
> > And the infant mortality rate is 25% higher than
> > Euroland, which brings the overall life expectancy figure down.

More and more these figures are almost meaningless unless broken
down by ethnic group at least, and perhaps SES too.

> I think that's because poverty in certain areas of the United States
> is much worse than many Western European countries.

Not just areas!  :-)  Unless you want to include districts
within the large cities.

> > The other point is that a lot of US health expenditure is not for
> > life-threatening conditions, Just 'feel-good' or 'feel-better' stuff.
> 
> Probably true.  In an ideal transhumanist world, we should be spending
> a lot on medical improvements, not fixing what's broken.

I would say that "feel-good" and "feel-better" are very important
(not to imply that you are saying any different).

I'd be willing to bet that 70% or more of health costs can be
traced to the failure to have a free market in health care,
and to regulation.

Lee