Economics of Chaos

The Chaos of Hunger By James McDonough The allocation of scarce resources to satisfy the seemingly insatiable needs of the people has been a challenge for societies since people started hanging out together. One would think that we could have gotten pretty good at Economic Systems by now but no such luck---sadly the economics of chaos still seems to rule. The most glaring failure of the current age is starvation. Put these two facts side by side: Thousands of our fellow humans starve to death every year. Yet, in the United States, obesity is one of our major health problems. Obviously, we have a system here of chaos. The Chaos of Death instead of plenty. We could, and in fact we do, grow enough food to feed the world. Distribution, profit motive and the political wills of the corrupt leaders of most of the nations of the world stand in the way of solving the famine-starvation problems, the oldest economic dilemma of mankind. The political leaders of the world must be prevailed u...

PLEASE...Send this along, I've sent it to my entire list of over 700. This is a perfect nonpartisan issue. 2010 is an election year for 1/3 of the senate and 1/2 of the house of representatives. It would be nice if congress got the message; the voting taxpayers are in charge now. LET US SHOW OUR LEADERS IN WASHINGTON "PEOPLE POWER" AND THE POWER OF THE INTERNET. If you agree with this idea, copy it and send it to your contacts. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT! We need a BILL TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY... Our Senate and Congress members do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. After all...

Part IV of the Health Care Chaos There is a pattern that has been going on in our country for generations. The focus on a problem comes and goes but only the incremental changes and improvements that time brings actually solves most problems. In the case of health care, we should not allow this to happen. It amazes me that only incremental changes in the system have been made in the American Health Care system since the Clinton Team tried and failed to change it twenty years ago. Meanwhile, costs have skyrocketed and the burden on individuals via raising costs, higher insurance premiums and higher taxes and deficits have increased dramatically. We have already pointed out two solutions; increased competition and tort reform. Now, we must focus on the groups that are doing a great job and emulate and learn from them. We'll also look at one of the worst performers so that we can get an idea of what to avoid. The Cleveland Clinic Founded in 1921, this hospital group consistently ...

I am at present receiving great care through Medicare and a not for profit health group in Manhatten, Kansas. I also am lucky enough to have a supplement through AARP. On three previous occasions, in different parts of the United States over the past 40 years, I have had serious health problems and I received excellent care. It is my opinion formed by those personal experiences that most healthcare in the United States is excellent. In the 1960's, I was treated for pneumonia in Dublin and my care there was excellent and I was never billed. Up the Irish for that one! I am well aware that I've been very fortunate and I would like that to be the case for everybody. I would love to see FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET. However, I would also like a ray gun, high fiber chocolate and another few hundred years to live and prosper. Sadly, I do not think any of those things are going to happen in my lifetime. As an economist, I look at problems from the perspecti...

The Lack of Competition It is my opinion that there is no efficient reason for a complicated and expensive government run healthcare system in the US. There is mounting evidence that these systems are virtually unmanageable and that such systems simply do not deliver quality care. Conversely, many politicians and a fairly large segment of the public still hold dear to the idea that health care should be universal and run by the government. Estimates on the cost vary but many critics and proponents of a big government healthcare system agree on a figure of at least ONE TRILLION DOLLARS or 100 Billion a year over the next ten years according to a recent CNN broadcast special on the subject. The second sting of this is that the plan will not even take effect for a minimum of three years and will not be in full coverage mode for six years. Sadly, those are probably optimistic predictions. Given the track record of big government, odds are it will take longer and cost more. Many well inf...

The Chaos In Healthcare. Debate is now raging throughout America about our healthcare and medical insurance systems. The Obama Administration and the Congress are expected to propose legislative and policy reforms that will greatly expand and change the role of government in the healthcare arena. These sectors of our economy are huge; estimated to be 1/6 or almost 17% of the American economy. There is a consensus that chaos exists in the areas of healthcare and health insurance but it is a peculiar chaos. By many measures these sectors are doing very well; almost 85% of Americans are covered by some kind of health insurance and the actual delivery of health care to patients throughout the United States for the most part is effective and far reaching. Less than 5% of the population who want to get insurance are unable to obtain it. The very poor and uninsured are mandated care by law through emergency room facilities. Compare this reality to some other American institutions: education...