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By David Houle | August 14th 2007 08:37 AM | 4 comments | Print | E-mail | Track Comments
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About David Houle

David Houle is a future thinker, speaker and strategist who advises organizations about dynamic trends. He is the author of The Shift Age.

Time to Wake Up America!

I grew up thinking that America was the greatest country in the world.  In many ways it is.  However, a recent report from the Census bureau shows that we are not even in the top 15% of countries when it comes to life expectancy.

We are now 42nd in the world with a life expectancy of 77.9 for someone born ini 2004.  Compare that to the number one country, Andorra at 83.5, Japan at 82.0 or Australia, Sweden and Switzerland at 80.3  Even a middle eastern (nows there is a safe part of the world!) country like Jordan beats us.  Let's see, no universal health care, guns everywhere, dangerous big SUVs and trucks, obesity, lack of exercise and a stress oriented culture to name just a few reasons.  What do you think?


Comments

Hank's picture
I am usually skeptical on results that look too strange to be true. Jordan having a higher life expectancy makes me wonder about the methodology they used.

David Houle's picture

I know, but that was what was reported.  Also Guam and a number - obviously - of other countries beat the U.S. 


Lucferris's picture
While you're questioning our country, David, why don't you wonder where we stand on education? How about infant mortality rate? There are many problems in this nation, problems that go largely unattended as we try to swing our might throughout the world. Look, America is the greatest country in the world, just not for the reasons that you think. It has nothing to do with numbers, it has to do with people and the freedoms that our people have. Lincoln called America "the best hope for mankind," and he wasn't just whistling Dixie, for it is our destiny to lead humanity to our next step in evolution. We cannot fool ourselves, we have problems almost beyond reckoning, but it's no comparisons to the ultimate problems facing all of humanity. Riddle me this, David, what is the next step? How do we create the shift that is so necessary to our survival? -LucFerris
ashley's picture
While you're questioning our country, David, why don't you wonder where we stand on education?

That's a point I was hoping to bring up.. I saw the stats a while back but can't seem to remember them. US stats are interesting to me, though they may not prove an exact representation of our country. They still show us a good good overview of where we're going...

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