We're #37

The life expectancy for Americans is up. We’re living longer than ever before: 75.6 years for men and 80.8 years for women. Must be because we have the best medical care in the world. So, how do we stack up to other countries? Tied with Cuba at 37^th, way behind 11^th ranked Canada, and trending downward. Bostonians may be celebrating the Stanley Cup, but Vancouver-ites will live longer. Socialist European countries do quite well, placing 14 in the top 25 for life expectancy. Diet, exercise, obesity rates and uneven access to health care are factors contributing to our international fade. But there is a silver lining. We’re still ahead of China (80), Russia (135) and India (139). So, maybe 37^th isn’t so bad. Hey, we can’t expect to be #1 in everything.

Double Standard

For as long as I’ve lived, Fidel Castro, the western hemisphere’s arch-enemy of capitalism and democracy – and therefore all that’s great and wonderful about the USA – has ruled Cuba as a caricature in fatigues, smoking a big cigar. Why can patriotic Americans travel and do lots (and lots) of business with China but not Cuba? Because Cuba is a communist country? Because of Cuba’s consistent human rights violations? Its crackdown on dissidents? Its suppression of free press? Oh, wait … that’s China. Maybe it’s because Fidel Castro kicked our CIA-backed ass at The Bay of Pigs in 1961. And while Europeans, Canadians, Mexicans and citizens of most freedom-loving democracies are free to visit Cuba, don’t you think 50 years is long enough for Uncle Sam to carry a grudge?