U.S. life expectancy declines AGAIN, a dismal trend not seen since 1915 World War I

"U.S. life expectancy declines AGAIN, a dismal trend not seen since 1915 World War I"
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Reports vary.
But some reports indicate one of the major contributors to our attrition rate is the opioid epidemic.

I understand it's paradoxical.
But I believe the Drug War plays a role here.

In the perverse incentive of Drug War, since even a relatively tame drug like marijuana is Schedule 1, & is as illegal as heroin or crack-cocaine, anyone willing to experiment with marijuana faces the same legal risk as experimenting with cocaine.

Drug War is a despicable usurpation of the People's right to be let alone.

"The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits." Thomas Jefferson
 
Sailor said:
Fun place huh?
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Cuba great people and highly educated ,

Before 1959 the official literacy rate for Cuba was between 60% and 76%, largely because of lack of education access in rural areas and a lack of instructors. As a result, the Cuban government of Fidel Castro at Che Guevara's behest dubbed 1961 the "year of education" and sent "literacy brigades" out into the countryside to construct schools, train new educators, and teach the predominantly illiterate guajiros (peasants) to read and write. The campaign was "a remarkable success." By its completion, 707,212 adults were taught to read and write, raising the national literacy rate to 96%

cuba now has one of the highest literacy rates in the world

And in medicine


Cuban Medical School Trains US Doctors of Color (with the understanding they will serve underserved areas of America)

I have 2 friends that there children went for medical school and now serving in underserved area here

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2018...hool-trains-us-primary-care-doctors-of-color/


Cuba has a lung cancer vaccine. Many U.S. patients can’t get it without breaking the law

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...nts-cant-get-without-breaking-law/1019093001/
 
Thank you g #71.

I appreciate the thaw President Obama and Pope Francis helped bring to U.S. / Cuba relations. Obviously there's much more to be done. Thanks for your role in mitigating the insanity.
 
That's fine n #73.

The problem is, self-control is better than arbitrary, punitive authoritarianism. Drug War has usurped common sense.
"The proverb warns that "You should not bite the hand that feeds you." But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself." psychiatrist Thomas Szasz
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Jefferson had the same idea.
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion." Thomas Jefferson
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sear said:
That's fine n #73.

The problem is, self-control is better than arbitrary, punitive authoritarianism. Drug War has usurped common sense.

Jefferson had the same idea.
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you get no argument from me. I'm 100% libertarian on drugs.
Drug control policies cause more problems then they cure

The problem is stuff like fentanyl only exists because of a black market. If you want to get thru to abuser
you have to understand they need it. you can get clean and then 20 years later fallback into it.
It doesn't ever go away.

You have to manage it - and the way to do it is managed care -not prohibition
 
"I'm 100% libertarian on drugs." n #75
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Yes, 100% of libertarians are on drugs. JUST KIDDIN' !! We're allowed to make bad jokes on Saturday night.
"Drug control policies cause more problems then they cure" n
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Sadly, succinctly so. Drug abuse is bad. Drug War is worse.
"The problem is stuff like fentanyl only exists because of a black market." n
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According to what I've read of it, before Prohibition, the most popular forms of beverage ethanol were beer & wine.

BUT !!

Because more concentrated ethanol (booze) was more compact, easier to smuggle, booze gained favor during Prohibition / the roaring '20's.

Similar story in Drug War. You've cited one example, crack cocaine is another; more highly refined, more compact to smuggle. Drug War makes matters worse.
"If you want to get thru to abuser you have to understand they need it. you can get clean and then 20 years later fallback into it.
It doesn't ever go away.

You have to manage it - and the way to do it is managed care -not prohibition" n
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I have what barely rises to the level of a crackpot theory about it.

Addictive personalities attach to habit.
So it seems to me the successful way to duck all that is instead of taking away the addict's drug,
provide the addict, or help the addict to find something to replace the drug addiction.
Wouldn't matter too much what that might be:
- antique restoration
- building a ship in a bottle
- finishing grad school
- vegetable gardening
- whatever

Simply take the drug away, and it creates a void in the addict's life, that craves satisfaction.

Displace the addiction with something of interest, and we avoid the void.
 
L9 #77

Jiggle & dance all you like.
The fact remains the U.S. has some of the most expensive healthcare in the world. Our our healthcare outcomes are not necessarily better than those achieved by more efficiently operated healthcare systems.

Insult Obama all you like, if it makes you feel a little less unmanly.

But know it or not, believe it or not, like it or not, admit it or not, Republicans fought Obama tooth & nail. And it's quite clear for Republicans partisanship trumps citizenship.

And Republicans with Trump, the shyster from New York spewing fiction about it hardly satisfy their own promises.

"I am going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody's gunna be taken care of much better than they're taken care of now." Candidate Trump 15/09/27 to CBS Scott Pelly

"You're going to have such great healthcare at a tiny fraction of the cost." candidate Trump 16/10/25 from campaign podium

"We're not gunna have like a 2 day period. And we're not gunna have a 2 year period, where there's nothing. It will be repealed and replaced." President Elect Trump CBS News 16/11/13

"It'll be repeal and replace. It will be essentially simultaneously. It will be various segments you understand but it will most likely be on the same day or the same week but probably the same day. Could be the same hour."
President Elect Trump 17/01/11 @NYC News Conference: source - FNS 17/07/02

"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now (Trump/McConnell-care), they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" U.S. President Trump 17/06/30 03:37 tweet

"Nobody knows the system better than me." "Which is why I alone can fix it." presidential candidate Trump 16/07/21 from the campaign podium

Obamacare ACA
“It will be repeal & replace. It will be essentially simultaneously. It will be various segments you understand, but will most likely be on the same day or the same week.” President Elect Trump at his only post election victory news conference in New York 17/01/11 / FNS
After challenge to VP Elect Pence from Chris Wallace, Pence added:
“... you're seeing an incredible increase in premiums on Americans. Obamacare has failed. We're going to repeal it. But at the same time we're gunna pass the kind of legislation that will lower the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government. I would anticipate in the first hundred days that uh we'll deliver on that promise to the American People.” VP Elect Pence 17/01/15 on FNS

“Nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated.” President Trump

The United States of America has abandoned cars on the moon.

You mean to tell me we can't get world class healthcare at competitive cost?
 
Sear ... My healthcare insurance was $400 a month and it was good and I was happy with it . Didn't coat me much when I ended up in the hospital . Then Obama sticks his big nose in ..... My monthly healthcare bill has now tripled and is SHITTY !

Now ! You end up in the hospital and you have tens of thousands of dollars to pay !!!!

FU you POS liberals .....
 
L9 #79

Marvelous!
But that's an anecdote.
We're not discussing you alone, but you, and over 320,000,000 of your closest friends.

If you want to handle this anecdotally:
Obama said if I like my doctor, I can keep my doctor.
I have!
I get my healthcare though the VA. IIRC so far it's cost me $24.oo this year.

Let's skip the anecdotes shall we?
"FU you POS liberals ..... " L9
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I doubt you know a person more conservative than me.
You seem to think I'm endorsing Obama somehow. Not on healthcare I'm not.
I was covered by the VA before Obama.
I was covered by the VA during Obama.
And I'm covered by the VA after Obama.

As a fiscal conservative, I like what Trump said here:

"You're going to have such great healthcare at a tiny fraction of the cost." candidate Trump 16/10/25 from campaign podium

BUT !!

I didn't believe him then. And I surely don't believe him now.

The difference between Trump & Obama is, Obama was a studious guy, as Democrat presidents often are.

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Obama didn't keep every campaign promise he made. But I never got the impression Senator Obama was just a blatant, flagrant liar that would say ANY THING in hope of getting votes.

Oh & btw, Obama not only won the election. Obama won the votes too. Two.
"FU you POS liberals ..... " L9
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You seem more comfortable cursing the dark than lighting a candle. That's fine. I'll leave you to the comfort of your dark, hostile place. Enjoy.
 
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