The Wrong Place to Be Chronically Ill

Chronically ill Americans suffer far worse care than their counterparts in seven other industrial nations, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based foundation that has pioneered in international comparisons. It is the latest telling evidence that the dysfunctional American health care system badly needs reform.

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Readers

Technologically speaking, I’m always a little behind the times (not to mention other facets of life). But I’m a recent convert to Google Reader. I love logging in to check out what people I’m interested in are saying, without all the clicks. Maybe laziness drives me? Probably. I’m just saying: Google Reader rocks.

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Rich on the Big Victory

I think I’m on the outside when it comes to most progressives’ opinion of Frank Rich: I could take or leave him. His prose is a bit too jump-up-and-down-arms-waving for me. But the editorial in today’s Times really does it for me.

For eight years, we’ve been told by those in power that we are small, bigoted and stupid — easily divided and easily frightened. This was the toxic catechism of Bush-Rove politics. It was the soiled banner picked up by the sad McCain campaign, and it was often abetted by an amen corner in the dominant news media. We heard this slander of America so often that we all started to believe it, liberals most certainly included.

Myself, most certainly included. While I realize that nearly half of voters do fall into the group he describes, the fact that they are now in the minority means everything. While the election results do not reflect progressive thinking across the board, I think I can join a large group of people in saying that I am proud of my country for the first time in my adult life. I can actually say “my country” without cringing.

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