Healthcare by the Numbers

For those who haven’t seen it yet, this report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) provides some insightful facts and figures regarding our healthcare system when compared to other OECD countries. For example, we spend 16% of our GDP on healthcare –  number...

Willya Wontcha, Do You Dontcha, Really, Really Want tp Work With Us?

It sounded a lot better when Bonnie Raitt sang it, but it’s still the catchiest tune in D.C. these days. The general public appears to be saying, Screw health care reform without a public option. Steven Pearlstein says, Screw the general public. (Actually, he didn’t really say that — he...

Iran: The Plight of the Protesters

TPM has up a Reuters story on allegations being made by Mousavi and Karoubi (second and fourth, respectively, in the recent, tainted Presidential election) that protesters have been raped, tortured and murdered. So not only should the international community condemn the mass arrests and kagaroo courts, but...

Holding Firm on the Public Option

On Memeorandum right now, there is an avalanche of commentary about the White House’s signaling that it’s ready to cave on the public option. Because there is so much progblog analysis, and because there are so many distinct issues involved with this legislation, I’ve decided to organize...

Legalize It!

In The Washington Post, Two former Baltimore police officers set forth their argument for the legalization of drugs.  You should read the whole thing, but here are a couple of ‘graphs to give you a taste of an argument I find persuasive: Cities and states license beer and tobacco sellers to control...