AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

Linda with Tarahumara baby, 2009

I think she wanted to bring it home with her

They talk about “American  exceptionalism”.  There is no doubt that we are exceptional in many ways.  We are exceptionally powerful, economically as well as militarily.  We are exceptionally lucky to be situated on North America and not, for instance, West Africa.  We are exceptionally lucky to have a secular state, rather than one based on religion.  Likewise, we are fortunate enough to have the NY Yankees and the New England Patriots to hate.  So, by and large, we should be very  happy to have been born here, rather than in Yemen, for example.

But on some things it seems to me that we are exceptionally stupid.  In school I was taught that our system of government was created by very wise men, and was the best ever devised.  But why, then, do we have total gridlock in Washington and a bunch of clowns for leaders?  Is it the fault of the Founding Fathers, or are we modern voters to blame.  Possibly a bit of both, I believe. 

But one facet of life we approach in an exceptionally stupid way, for sure – our system of providing health care.  What pushed me into this tirade is the fact, which I just learned…

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/women-with-family-history-of-breast-and-ovarian-cancer-able-to-undergo-free-genetic-tests/news-story/3a2de230422fbca80c93f0ce889a72a8

that in Australia every woman with any risk factors can now get tested for BRCA mutations on the cheap, whereas in this country one actually has to  HAVE the damned disease!  How many American lives are tossed away needlessly each year, in order to save a few bucks?  We need more cancer biologists, and fewer statisticians and economists.  So say I.

I am in a bad mood this morning.