On Wed, 7 Sep 2005, Jed Rothwell wrote:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Economic growth means Power, Water and Sewerage, Hospitals and Medicine,
Schools and Universities to provide a steady stream of professionals.
Exactly right. It does. However economic power alone does not ensure health
care or education. The U.S., for example, is the richest nation on earth, yet
our overall health care is well below levels in China and Cuba, and our
average educational attainments are dead last in every category. A few
statistics:
U.S. infant mortality rank: 43, according to the CIA world factbook. Infant
mortality in Beijing is 4.6 per thousand; in Washington, DC it is 11.5.
29% of U.S. children were not covered by health insurance at some point
during the last year. (In other developed countries in Europe and Japan this
number is 0%.)
Measles immunization rate, the U.S. rank is number 84, well behind China and
most other developing countries. Polio immunization rank: 89.
The statistics for dental care are a special horror story. A large number of
children in the U.S. have never been to a dentist, and many people lose all
of their teeth by age 30, which would be unthinkable in any other developed
country.
Remy, is dental care still free in the U.K? A friend of mine studied in
London in 1985, and he went to the dentist there for free. Amazing.
Better than here in Sweden.
That's what makes me angry about the left. Why does Africa have to be any
different?
[snip]
In point of fact, rigid meritocracy appears to be the best way to ensure
overall wealth. This is the system in countries such as Ireland, Sweden,
Here, one minister (male) have a father that held the same post years ago.
The same applies to the mother of a former minister (female). Reeks of
nepotism, in my opinion.
Iceland and until recently Japan. Public schools are superior in Japan all of
them are funded at exactly the same level with exactly the same curriculum.
Anonymous multiple-choice college entrance exams are the sole criterion for
access to the best higher education and capital. For the past 20 years or so
the system is broken down in Japan, and the gap between wealth and poverty is
growing rapidly.
Why is it that any other immigrant community that comes into a country
rapidly with 2 generations becomes economically sufficient?
Mainly because immigrant parents sacrifice everything for their children,
giving them all advantages on a silver spoon, as I said.
- Jed
/Mathias
