X-Message-Number: 27024
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:16:49 -0400 (EDT)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: the plight of the poor?

Stodolsky writes: "Once again we see demonstrated that
anecdotal evidence is useless as data. A comparison of
medical care between Canada, where there is a universal tax
supported system, and US shows that the US system is twice as
expensive and people live three years less."

I provided you with a fact: US state-funded hospitals must
treat anyone who walks in the door. This is not "anecdotal
evidence." It is true. You chose to ignore this fact in a
fairly typical attempt to put the worst possible spin on US
healthcare.

Comparisons of life expectancy are of course of marginal
value since diet, race, exercise, and environmental factors
are important. The figures you cite (without sources) are
probably for people of all racial backgrounds in the United
States.

As for complaining that hurricane "victims" (i.e. those who
chose not to evacuate) did not receive health care in New
Orleans, is this really intended to be an indictment of the
US health care system? People lacked a supply of drinkable
water, also. Is this an indictment of the municipal water
distribution system?

I really don't know how you expect anyone to take you
seriously.

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