Herod's Kingdom

The infant mortality rate is a very significant fact about a country's well-being. In the most recent worldwide study, the U.S. is 31st among the developed nations, hardly something to brag about. That a country as rich and advanced scores so badly in such an important matter speaks volumes about its priorities. It's been said that the measure of a society is given by how it treats its most vulnerable people. In this and other ways, the U.S. is a third-rate country. While there are many poor countries that can do no better, Americans have no real excuse for such a disastrous result. As long as health care is seen as something that the free market will take care of, there will be little improvement in this and other statistics. Only universal health coverage can provide the kind of comprehensive medical attention that will help keep the infant mortality low.

But, then, that would be "socialism", a fate worse than death...

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