They also have a higher hospital per square mile number too... which has a lot to do with infant mortality.
Sigh. I told myself I wasn't going to feed the trolls...
Well, here goes...
I'm not sure if you are trying to make a point and missing your mark, or if you simply don't understand WHY the Civil War was fought.
The Civil War was fought in an attempt to restore the balance between the powers of state government and the powers of the federal government.
Since the Civil War was fought, those powers have been horribly skewed in a manner absolutely contrary to the constitution.
Well, I think they were skewed due to the reality of the situation. If we look at it like a business runs, we are a capitalist economy afterall, it only makes sense that some things are controlled centrally.
Can you imagine if every McDonald's had to negotiate their own supplier arrangements? Why ever bother calling it McDonald's at that point...
But seriously, would you really want to live in a country where Iowa ran 240V and Minnesota ran 120V? What if some hayseed officials in Kansas wanted to teach about Jesus in science classes in K-12 schools? Oh wait, that happened...
If anything, there's still too much left up to the states.
Really? Because Some of the best cutting edge technology is in the private sector (i.e. Solar power plants in Arizona). You want great transportation and great electricity generation, go private sector. You want mediocre... government is the way for you.
Ask PG&E customers how well their private utilities are working for them. When their shit isn't blowing up whole neighborhoods, that is.
Really, that's a poor example. It's widely known that public utility companies have the highest satisfaction rates and lowest costs in the country.
military... bad example as they are equipped by the private sector.
Fleeced by the private sector, of course. I'll take MILSPEC Bic ballpoint pens for $50, Alex.
education... take the same under-performing kids and put them in a private school and their grades immediately improve. Put any kid, for that matter, in a private school and their grades automatically improve.
So let's get rid of DoE and make all schools private! Sounds great!
Wait, I think Philly tried this a few years back... They turned over several school districts to a private company to administer. I think the costs doubled. They did not renew the contract. But then, that was still technically a public school meaning anyone could go, even the poor.
Okay, so let's make them private. That will give us greater choice and quality selection!
But how do we make sure that everyone participates so that we can make sure everyone gets an education... We could make it a mandate, but then that would be like Obamacare and a huge government takeover. No, can't have that. So I guess we don't.
No mandate! So that means that if you can't afford school for your children, then don't have kids. Or abort them. Or maybe just not educate them, because we'll need more serfs for the labor camps to manufacture our tea bags.
healthcare... we have government run health care, it's called the VA, and trust me.. it's not what you want YOUR health care to be like. There's a reason that I don't use the VA hospital, and instead pay more out of pocket for my health care.
I totally agree that the VA system needs work. It's a shame we ask these kids to go and fight then dump them with the underfunded VA.
But remember, there's no profit in fixing them up properly. Nobody's district stands to make a buck from a silly old VA hospital.
regulation... forced subprime lending brought us into this recession.
Lack of regulation due to fierce lobbying by the banking industry and the utter acquiescence to their demands by more timid congressional elements (or those who stood to benefit from deregulation) is certainly a serious issue.
But, it must have been for the better because a lot of people in the banking industry made a ton of money!
Still, let's blame the government because it's the vogue thing to do.
banking... governments cannot change on the whim of the economy. It takes TOO much to get a change in policy through the government. That's WHY the Fed was created.
economic management... well, again, it was during this ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT that we entered the most recent recession. Also, the Government doesn't manage the economy, the Fed does. The Federal Government long ago realized that they were unable to respond in a timely manner to the economic situation, and created an institution that COULD respond. I think it needs to be responsible to the American public, but economic management is something that the government is just horrible at.
Well, in theory it's nice... But when the deck is stacked with former Goldman Sachs brass it makes one wonder whose interests are being served.
One of these plutocrats should come up with the idea of an alternative "private" currency with paper bills and such, backed by international securities, that can be used for goods and services just like government tender! Let's privatize the **** out of this shit!