Sunday, August 2

Chicken's Feet And More Health Care

Somewhere in our yesterday we find Chinatown for dim sum. Our last order includes chicken's feet and, before arrival, I bet Madeleine she won't eat everything on the table. She is seriously dubious (as she should be) while Eitan refuses the wager. At stake: £1. Since Madeleine in debt having pre-spent her allowance, temptation great and she commits. So the feet arrive, we are titillated, and you know what - pretty good to, once you get over the display that is.

Switching gears, did you know that US health care costs are greater than the entire British economy, which is the fourth largest in the world? The main reason Americans have not received pay increases, in real-terms, since the 1970s because of health's escalating costs. While 47 million may be without insurance, 80% have it and don't want it to change since treatments best and most thorough in the world, bar none. Unfortunately, it also makes us way less competitive - GM cannot sell cars when competing with Koreans or Chinese who don't have the benefits legacy. OK, GM sucks with their SUVs and Ostriche-head-in-sand management. But IBM, GE, Boeing and any US company competing on the global stage has diminishing prospects.