Life Expectancy in Red States vs Blue States

[Ken Rank]

Do you know what "net income" means? I ask because this post suggests you don't... (hint: that $2,700 is after taxes)

I used the other users number giving him the benefit of the doubt. The point wasn't their income amount, the point was that they have to work for 7.2 MONTHS for the government (61.15%) in order to have FREE stuff. It isn't free if I have to work for nothing for 7.2 months to get it.

 

[Ken Rank]

2,700 is already a net monthly income, that means after all taxation.

I think you do not understand how it works if you think that people work from January to September only for government. What do you think we eat? Grass?

Insurance is not free, when you do not need it.. If you need it because of some tragic life situation, you may get so much from it that its "free" compared to what you put into it. Another concept you do not seem to understand.

I used your number giving you the benefit of the doubt. The point wasn't their income amount, the point was that they have to work for 7.2 MONTHS for the government (61.15%) in order to have FREE stuff. It isn't free if I have to work for nothing for 7.2 months to get it.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

She has already done that. Spent eight years fighting child obesity. You are late to the party.

She always looked a bit overweight herself.

 

[solid_core]

if they get attacked, we pay for it and physically go defend them. Sounds like they have a great self-sufficient system going on there... ever consider moving?

If you mean NATO, then NATO is an alliance of many countries.

If one member is attacked, all other countries are obligated to go help them. Not just you, but also France, Spain, Germany, UK, Italy, Poland, Canada, etc etc etc.

And it works both ways. If the USA is attacked, Sweden is obligated to defend you.

------

EDIT - ah, Sweden is not in NATO. In that case I understand your point. I do not know what bilateral agreement you two countries have.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

If you mean NATO, then NATO is an alliance of many countries.

If one member is attacked, all other countries are obligated to go help them. Not just you, but also France, Spain, Germany, UK, Italy, Poland, Canada, etc etc etc.

And it works both ways. If the USA is attacked, Sweden is obligated to defend you.

I heard a great one recently.

"Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion."

 

[solid_core]

I heard a great one recently.

"Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion."

Their military reputation was somehow damaged during the WWII, but lets hope that they are different now

 

[bekkilyn]

Out of their 2700 US dollars equivalent income, they pay on average 61.15% back to the government for that "free" healthcare and "free" education. I don't know how you get "free" when you have to work from January through AUGUST just to pay the government for your "free" stuff??? Anyway... add in that they only have 11 million people... our 350 million create a different dynamic and oh by the way... >>WE<< subsidize their national defense. That's right... if they get attacked, we pay for it and physically go defend them. Sounds like they have a great self-sufficient system going on there... ever consider moving?

Ever considered studying finance?

 

[whatbogsends]

I used the other users number giving him the benefit of the doubt. The point wasn't their income amount, the point was that they have to work for 7.2 MONTHS for the government (61.15%) in order to have FREE stuff. It isn't free if I have to work for nothing for 7.2 months to get it.

I know what your point was. The real point is that while they take home an average of $500/month less, they gain substantially more than $500 in value of public services, which includes healthcare. Your "point" didn't address it.

We pay more for our health care and have worse results. The biggest problem with our health care model is we have a multi-billion dollar insurance industry which syphons value out of the system. They get paid, and don't do a single thing to improve health care results. Moreover, the complication of the insurance system causes administrative costs in health care facilities to be higher - another no value add feature of our system.

 

[GodLovesCats]

She always looked a bit overweight herself.

I never thought so.

 

[Ken Rank]

Ever considered studying finance?

No, I will stick with Scripture. But... the numbers are what they are. If 61.15% of your money, on average, goes to the government... then you work for 7.2 months to get free stuff. Here, we work until April 15th for the government (down from May 15th under Obama). So if you think basically 4 months of additional working for the government = "free stuff" then vote for Bernie. I don't care...

I am going back to the other forums. Have a great day.

 

[98cwitr]

Correlation doesn't equal causation.

 

[solid_core]

No, I will stick with Scripture. But... the numbers are what they are. If 61.15% of your money, on average, goes to the government... then you work for 7.2 months to get free stuff. Here, we work until April 15th for the government (down from May 15th under Obama). So if you think basically 4 months of additional working for the government = "free stuff" then vote for Bernie. I don't care...

I am going back to the other forums. Have a great day.

I think there are two important things to consider:
1) how high the net income is and what are average prices of living
2) how much of those money that go to "government" get back to you in form of public services, higher social security, lower criminality, more happy and healthy people generally etc

Your quality of life can be higher with less money and vice versa. You may have more money to have 3 cars instead of one which is usual in the EU, but then you give your children to school and all your money are lost. And then you may need some more expensive medial treatment and you will become... homeless?

 

[lasthero]

I never thought so.

She’s a bit more muscular than the average woman her size, so she might be overweight, in the strict sense. But she was in fine shape, last I checked.

 

[wing2000]

and oh by the way... >>WE<< subsidize their national defense. That's right... if they get attacked, we pay for it and physically go defend them. Sounds like they have a great self-sufficient system going on there... ever consider moving?

Sweden is not a member of NATO.

 

[durangodawood]

Sweden is not a member of NATO.

My goodness, people just blab whatever comes into their head if they think it supports their worldview.

 

[JackRT]

More universal than what we got. Here, you pay more and get less.

Comparative outcomes -------- Canada / US :

per capita medical spending --- $4500 / $8500

percent of GDP ---------------------11.2 / 17.7

public share –---------------------- 70% / 48%,

doctors per 1000 -------------------- 2.4 / 2.5

nurses per 1000 ----------------------9.3 / 11.1

life expectancy ----------------------- 81 / 79

smoking rate --------------------- 15.7% / 14.8%

obesity rate -----------------------25.4% / 36.5%.

As you can readily see, Canada achieves comparable or superior outcomes at close to half the expense and every citizen regardless of status or income has equal access.

 

[JackRT]

My goodness, people just blab whatever comes into their head if they think it supports their worldview.

That is a regular part of Donald Trump's rhetoric.

 

[adrianmonk]

And let's all get in a tizzy when Michelle Obama wants to make school lunches healthier.

It was weird when people decided that their kids should eat less healthy meals just because they did not like Obama.

 

[adrianmonk]

The red state/blue state health figures are a paradox.

Conservative lifestyle leads to better health.
Liberal approach leads to poor health.

You have figures supporting this ?

 

[RocksInMyHead]

I used the other users number giving him the benefit of the doubt. The point wasn't their income amount, the point was that they have to work for 7.2 MONTHS for the government (61.15%) in order to have FREE stuff. It isn't free if I have to work for nothing for 7.2 months to get it.

FYI: January through September is 9 months, not 7.2. 7.2 months puts you just shy of one week into August.

And I think that looking at it that way is very simplistic. In the US, you still have to "work for" someone to get the services that "working for the government" affords the Swedish. Sure, you can choose not the receive those services, but neglecting your health and education (for example) is - at least in my opinion - extraordinarily short-sighted. Ultimately, because of the costs of healthcare, education and other services that the Swedish get for "free", the average American has less disposable income than the average Swede. Furthermore, the relatively small disparity in net incomes despite the large difference in average tax rates suggests that average wages in Sweden are significantly higher than average wages in the US.