[ExI] Transhumanism and Politics

[BillK]

On Jan 26, 2008 10:19 PM, J. Andrew Rogers wrote:
<snip>
> No matter how much I think about it, I cannot see how a system that
> delivers inferior results to the average person can be morally
> superior.  The purpose of healthcare is to deliver good medical
> results, not to conform to arbitrary good intentions and possibly
> irrational ideals.
>
>

I think I pretty much agree with your points.
(Though it is very convenient for you to argue that all the health
metrics that show the US in a poor position are either wrong or
misleading. Surely the US publicity machine should be able to issue a
form of health stats that make themselves look good?).

The US probably does have the best medical services in the world.

And I agree that there are large groups in the US who do not appear to
benefit from these excellent medical services. That may be due to
poorer states having less money to invest or large groups of poor
communities that don't access the medical or other city services.

Certainly life-style habits, like obesity and smoking and auto
accidents, do contribute to the poor US health metrics, but other
countries also have these problems to varying degrees. And some of the
demographics favour the US. Like having an overall younger population
than other first world countries means less illness.

Until the US finds a way to better deliver their excellent medical
services to *everyone* in the US, then their overall health metrics
will continue to lag behind the rest of the world.


BillK