How to export the sick

Comment on: Globalisation and health care | Operating profit | Economist.com at 8/16/2008 10:58 AM EDT

Despite the irreversible consumption associated with air travel, this trend is a positive for me - with so many prices and artificial price barriers around our world, people need to take an active stance against price discrimination as financial self-defense.

As in so many arenas, the debate over insurance in America has been sorely lacking long-term perspective. American's don't have universal insurance today because of government wage freezes imposed on the Greatest Generation. Do we really think such an arbitrary wartime policy should determine national values today?

I've been going to Bangkok's Bumrungrad for years because of absurd prices and quality at home, but I'm not quite the average American. Unlike many educated professionals, I don't haven't had employer-provided insurance for all those years. I pay for much cheaper global insurance, which avoids much coverage in the United States.

Now that I am back in the United States, I live in one of New York City's medical centers. It's a tough business to understand, but what's clear is that few inside the industry have sufficient reason to give patients lower prices.

FYI ~ Vietnam has excellent dental services and some alternative therapies available at a great discount. And if you work in Japan, their socialized system is very user-friendly for the minor illnesses (but head for continental Asia for the major stuff).

Tech, guns, & butter

Comment on: Gun ownership | Is that a small arm in your pocket? | Economist.com at 4/30/2008 10:41 AM EDT

Interesting that the United States has the most civilian guns, as I was under the impression that Canadians are much more likely to own a gun. Is the gap explained more by the number of Americans or the number of guns the American gun-lover owns?

Comment on: America's food crisis | Democracy in America | Economist.com at 4/25/2008 11:21 AM EDT

Thank you for linking to these articles, especially since their hosts don't allow comments My two cents: it doesn't benefit a country to be the richest if it is also on a path to be the most unequal. For a look at the other side of price instability, read about the recent surge of upscale survivalism here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/fashion/06survival.html

Comment on: Semantic video analysis | Finding the right picture | Economist.com at 4/22/2008 4:54 PM EDT

Technology Monitor seems presumptuous in making claims as to the applications and objectives of this research. Where is the analysis on funding for semantic computing? There is some evidence suggesting defense and intelligence organizations are silently writing many of the checks. Do grant givers want nothing more than to fulfill Dr Izquierdo's dream of making the internet 'more useful'?

"Seeing the second world war as a pure struggle to defeat an evil dictator has led us into foreign policy traps ever since"

Comment on: The last excuse for the Iraq war is founded on a myth | Comment is free | Guardian.co.uk at 4/25/2008 9:35 AM EST

Somewhat touchy here in the comments thread, but kudos to Mr. Wilby. I hope that his point isn't forgotten. As parents and teachers, we need to stop another generation from coming into adulthood with fantasies of Hitler's evil.