US Universal Health Care is a Reality

I live in a neighborhood of Minneapolis called Seward. During the elections in 2004 if you looked at an electoral map the entire area in the metro was red, except for this densely populated dot of communist haven, Seward. It is only because of the 40,000 or so public sector/academian oafs here that Bush did not carry Minnesota.

Thus my neighbor is the one with the "Willing to Pay for a Better Minnesota" signs in their yards. Not to mention "Bush is the Terrorist," "Bush Lied, How Many Died," and the seemingly never-falling-out-of-fashion "Kerry Edwards."

But there are a couple putzes in the hood that are unashamedly socialist and they're the ones with the "Universal Health Care Now!"

OK, once again here people, it looks like I'm going to have to take the baseball bat of Capitalism and beat you freaking senseless with it because I'm just so sick and tired of people's ignorance.

The US spends more per person on health care than any other nation in the world, and not marginally so, but quite literally double our European counterpart's average. This translate (logically) into the fact that we spend twice as much as our GDP on health care than our European counterparts.
Where my ire is raised and the rationale for a beating the Seward socialists with the baseball bat of Capitalism is warranted is that 45% of that spending is through government social programs. Be it Medicare or Medicaid or here in Minnesota the state health care program, MinnCare, we not only effectively spend the same amount of government money on health care (as our European friends) but, and are you ready for the real kicker?

WE EFFECTIVELY ALREADY HAVE FREAKING UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE!!!!

Cripes people! Where are the sick and the corpses laying about the streets? How many news stories do you need about single mothers getting free health care for their multiple-fathered children at some clinic, or how illegal immigrants are bankrupting California's hospitals? Last I checked the idiot teenage mothers and illegal immigrants weren't exactly thinking ahead saying, "gee, I better get some health care coverage before I get pregnant." And I don't think I can recall a story about illegals asking their coyote transporters where they can get some affordable health insurance once inside California.

Marginal Costs of Time

I get a temporary radio gig where I get to sub for a reasonably well known radio host.

Of course, never being on radio before, I have to dedicate significant resources to ensure the topics are good, engaging and fresh. This wipes out any free time I had two weeks ago and thus keeps me from my blog.

Then comes my annual vacation to South Dakota which involves an eclectic mix of hiking, fishing, fossil hunting and hitting on an insanely cute park ranger. The preparation, researching of fossil sites, not to mention a 26 mile hike straight through the gorgeous backcountry of Badlands National Park, all of which wiped out any free time I had last week.

Which brings me to today, 48 hours after my return and three Bengay bottles later, and I'm just catching up with all I had left behind. Sadly though the marginal utility I receive from expending one additional unit of time on my blog is not enough to compensate me for other things (paying the mortgage, paying the bills) and thus I have to delay any serious posting of economic wit. However, (while waiting to get some research back from the University of Minnesota) I will be making a post that will prove worthwhile and certainly raise the ire of women.

For AM 1500 Listeners

Fellow readers and AM 1500 listeners,

Thanks for tuning into the show. Here are the charts that accomodate the topics covered on the show. I hope they supplement your understanding and make sense of what I was blathering about on the air!

Best of luck!






The S&P 500 PE ratio is below

SPX PE 

Ahh, Unions 

Your Friendly Neighborhood Chinaman

A short post again as I am short on time. But here’s the twelve month trailing average trade deficit between the US and China.

Now, call me crazy, but something tells me that this deficit exists because the Chinese produce stuff we want and we don’t produce stuff the Chinese want. I mean, what American doesn’t want cheap clothing, electronic gadgets and consumer electronics. But tell me how many Chinese demand “grief counseling” or self-help books or the services of sociology majors and other such products that the US is seemingly only capable of producing?

Tapping Collective Intelligence

OK, 3 days until the big broadcast. Have composed a wide array of topics which I will whittle through and think about later tonight whilst I drink and eat at my favorite local eatery and drinkery.

Having said that and being confident that the topics will be entertaining, I'm wise enough to appreciate the power of the market and recall the most successful local talk show host here say, "I don't get to talk about what I want, I talk about what they want."

So help me out and submit any topics you'd think would do well, I would most certainly appreciate it.

Hosting a Talk Show!

Fellow readers, great news;

A while ago I entered a contest at the local talk radio station called "The Next Big Thing," a radio version of reality TV where they profile rookie talent in search for somebody who may become "the next big thing."

Well two months after I did my stint they called back asking if I'd sub for their regular 8-10PM host, Chris Krok on his show "Krok Talk."

Needless to say I am very happy, however, after receiving this opportunity immediately returning from San Francisco necessitating preparation for the show, I've had no time to dedicate to my blog, which begets further apologies.

HOWEVER, the good news is that you can listen in and hopefully I can make up for the neglecting of my blog and you can get an uber economics fix by listening in.

For those locally in the Twin Cities area, you know the station. For those of you not so local (for some reason there sure are A LOT of Canadians that read my blog for some reason), I think you can listen online via their website www.am1500.com Furthermore, there is a 1-800 number you can call if you're out of state if you so desired to participate in the discussion. I'll be broadcasting Minnesota Time (central standard???) from 8-10PM June 15th-17th. So be sure to tune in.

And maybe, someday, they'll have my face on their billboard on I-94 and Hwy 280, and then that economist babe will see it and rue the day that she shot me down saying, "oh, why didn't I go out with him when I had the chance. Sigh!" Oh yeah, it's fated to happen!

Gorgeous George Stikes Again

I had always suspected that the world's two greatest evils (Islamic terrorism/fascism and communism) would join forces, despite historical differences, to form a united assault against the world's greatest good (capitalism). And it seems British PM, George Calloway, who was heralded by the American media when he blasted Norm Coleman about his investigation into the UN, is the missing link and proof of the two combining forces;

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=16140_The_21st_Century_Lord_Haw_Haw&only

The Times When Republicans Were

It was on my flight out to scenic San Francisco that I had the time to catch up on the three neglected issues of my favorite periodical. And whilst reading the back issues I happened upon this hilarious picture which reminded me why I’m no big fan of George Bush.

For if George Bush was a true Republican, then he’d be more fiscally conservative. Alas he is not. For aside from the war (which I’m for) he’s still managed to blow wads of taxpayer’s money on frivolous social programs/causes, including the $50 billion education bill, another $15 billion for fighting AIDS in Africa, and let’s not forget that minor little $800 billion (AND RISING) boondoggle on Medicare (yes, all frivolous, don’t get into it with me).

All of this (and more) has increased government spending as a percent of our economy from 18% to 19.5% (as of 2003). This may not seem like a lot, but keep in mind this is while the economy was growing by leaps and bounds. i.e.-government spending under GW has increased faster than the economy has been growing. The result? GW has only been outspent by LBJ and his idiot-mollifying, vote-bribing policy called “The Great Society.”

Joy.

But this behooves the question that has been plaguing me for some time; “why does the left hate GW so much, and herald Bill Clinton as their god, when the opposite should be true?”

Alas, perhaps I am foolish in assuming democrats do as they “should” or adhere to some sort of logic…alas, perhaps I may also be foolish in thinking that people in general look at these charts.

I Left Nothing in San Francisco

Somebody might have left their heart in San Francisco, but I even had reservations about going to the bathroom in San Francisco and thus leaving anything there.

Outside a trip to Yosemite National Park and visiting some obscure relatives in the hinterland of California, the majority of my trip was spent with my sister and her new boyfriend in scenic San Francisco. The highlight of the trip was a visit to one of the 5 remaining Federal Reserve Banks I had yet to visit and a salsa club on the south side of town where the skill level and friendliness level of the local ladies outranked the ladies of Minneapolis.

Regardless, I am back and after catching up on e-mails and work, will start to give you your semi-weekly/daily/random fix of economics.