Is American Healthcare Any Better Or Not?

The United States of America is one powerful nation. Many countries the world over look up to the “Land of the Free” and the Home of the Brave” for a lot of reasons. But let’s be unbiased here and try to check on one crucial aspect of nation-building: healthcare. Do Americans really enjoy better healthcare services and privileges than citizens of other nations or do they have one of the most expensive healthcare delivery systems in the world? Well, it’s hard to come up with an assumption if we don’t have a point of comparison, right? So, let’s compare healthcare in the US and that of Denmark, a European country that may be thousands of miles from North America but undoubtedly also faces the same medical woes and maladies faced by every American.

The culture between these two countries are strikingly different and we’ll soon find out if the same thing applies to the way health is viewed and taken care of by both. In reality, the Danish healthcare system is arguably far more superior than that of the US in a lot of ways. The thing is that they have a smaller budget for healthcare than in America but theirs is far more efficient. It might make you wonder how they manage to pull it off if a country as big and powerful as the US still struggle with doing so until today but apparently, culture plays a major role. Lifestyle practices like cycling is a great example and in turn, triggers a positive domino effect that not only benefits one person but the entire country as a whole. Politics is not as dirty as well. Politicians actually care about the citizenry and compromise on policies that are meant to uplift the lives, safety, health, and well-being of the people.

Politics and healthcare are intertwined

Finally, the US political two party system creates one winner and one loser. The Danish multi-party system creates coalitions and consensus.

In this system, controversial issues are generally resolved through compromise. Compromise creates many winners and fewer losers. Larger coalitions tend to be longer lasting and programs are more faithfully executed since many more people wish to see a given program succeed.

My impression of Danish people, is that they do not necessarily think of life as a zero sum game whereby one must lose in order for another to gain. In the US on the other hand, it is commonplace to see Democrats and Republicans repeatedly describing each other’s plans in terms of “winning” or “losing.” Unlike Denmark, compromise in American politics isalmost unheard of.

(Via: http://sciencenordic.com/how-does-denmark-have-better-healthcare-us-less-money)

It basically boils down to the prevailing culture and mindset in America. One group has to either win or lose. There is no meeting halfway and compromising especially if the issues being tackled are of national interest. Denmark may be smaller than the US but with all the resources America has, it is not impossible for it to copy and succeed at transforming our nation’s healthcare system and making it as good as that of its European counterpart. We all could learn about how open and accepting the Danish culture is and that is perhaps the reason why they manage to succeed in healthcare where Americans have lost.

The United States has the highest healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP among developed nations throughout the world. Currently, the nation spends 17% of its annual GDP on healthcare. In dollar terms, that comes to $3.06 trillion. The average amongst our peers is just under 11%.

In per capita terms, according to research from George Mason University, the United States spends, on average, $8,508 per person on healthcare. The average among developed nations is less than half of that, at $3,322.

Meanwhile, as our healthcare costs escalate, so does our aging population. Pew research has determined that 10,000 members of the baby boom generation turn 65 every day. By 2030, when all boomers are 65 or older, they will account for 18% of the nation's population. While I am an eternal optimist, I sincerely doubt the ability of our current healthcare system to care for a sickly and aging population of that size.

(Via: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/how-to-invest-in-the-future-of-american-healthcare-cm887204)

However you look at it, the healthcare system in the country is beyond poor considering the US is one of the most progressive nations in the world. A large number of the population is also aging. The baby boomers are responsible for initiating the progress we are now enjoying. If at this rate we are already struggling in meeting the needs of the sick and the injured, what more if there will be more older people who won’t be able to attend to their personal needs and require professional medical help that is not only costly right now but the process is so complex and confusing too. Today, politics still dominate health care. The Republicans still do not rest in trying to abolish the existing Obamacare despite how many times of failing. Politicians are only interested in their own vested interests and until the time comes that the US can definitely unite once and for all even if they support different parties is perhaps the time when real healthcare reforms can be realized and implemented.

de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2postlinkde482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2 was originally published to The IPAC Blog

source https://ipaction.org/blog/is-american-healthcare-any-better-or-not/

Climate Change Is Real

Wherever you live on the planet today, you cannot just ignore the reality of climate change. It is no longer just a prediction you’ve probably heard decades ago. It is now our reality. You can see it always in the news. The world is heating up. The ocean is rising. Natural calamities are getting stronger and more destructive. It is just bad news every single day. However, we can’t just close our eyes and pretend all these things are not happening. It is scary, indeed, but we have no one else to blame but ourselves. For the longest time, humans have been abusing Mother Nature. We use up most of the world’s resources without a care in the world not thinking if there will be enough left for the future generation. Just look around you and it is easy to see why climate change came sooner than expected. Our incessant use of technology requires energy to fuel it. We just keep increasing our demands on the planet and not realizing that all these will trigger something really nasty over time.

Since the whole world is already aware of the problem, the experts have been paying more attention to climate change to hopefully understand what is happening to the planet and if there is anything else we can do to slow it down if that is still possible at the moment. All the little changes in the world signal something and since it has already been a long time that we’ve been abusing and misusing the world’s resources, it makes sense that we are seeing changes at a global scale that all points to global warming and climate change. A fine example of which is what you are seeing outside your window like pollution of all sorts that are just at the tip of the iceberg.

The US Global Change Research Program recently released a Climate Science Special Report. It is clearly written – an authoritative summary of the science, and easy to understand.

The first main chapter deals with changes to the climate and focuses much attention on global temperatures. When most people think of climate change, they think of the global temperature – specifically the temperature of the air a few meters above the Earth surface. There are other (better) ways to measure climate change such as heat absorbed by the oceans, melting ice, sea level rise, or others. 

(Via: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/dec/06/us-government-report-finds-steady-and-persistent-global-warming)

The planet continues to change. At the rate things are going now, the world may no longer be hospitable for the future generations if we don’t take drastic measures. Our little contributions go a long way but we need more in order to bridge the gap between the extent of the damage and our continued abuse of the planet, which is why efforts should be at a global scale as well. There is even the risk of losing island nations as sea level continues to rise. It is painful to visualize what may happen to all of us if we don’t do something about it today when we still have time. Our collective efforts in stopping climate change in its track are the only solution we can think of now.

"Climate change is happening right in front of our eyes," Fruean said this week on the sidelines of a meeting in Fiji of Civicus, a global civil society group.

Helen Clark - the former New Zealand prime minister and an ex-senior United Nations official - was also at the Suva gathering. Clark says she is not surprised by its central topic.

"You can't come to a meeting in the Pacific and not have climate change as the focus," Clark tells Fairfax Media. "Everybody talks about it because it's an existential threat to the Pacific."

(Via: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/existential-threat-climate-change-risks-finally-grab-australias-attention-20171206-h00am7.html)

Thousands have already died and displaced because of natural phenomenon that has gone berserk. Answering to the call of help of affected nations and individuals in the aftermath of a disaster isn’t the answer we have all been waiting for all along. They are just ban-aid solutions. What we need is a disaster management plan with long-term goals that also addresses the issue of climate change. While disasters are destructive on their own, they are just superficial manifestations of how much climate change has changed weather systems and will probably just get worse over time. And time isn’t a luxury we all have.

Even governments are not sure how to properly address the situation. Definitely, energy efficiency should be at the top of everyone’s list because it is the major contributor to the betterment or worsening of the state of our planet. Emissions make the planet hotter. Trapped heat in the atmosphere continues to melt glaciers and warm the planet and fuel climate change. Let’s help one another in conserving and preserving the Earth or lose the only home we know of in the entire universe.

The following blog post de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2postlinkde482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2 was first published on The IPac Action Blog

source https://ipaction.org/blog/climate-change-is-real/

American Education In Peril

We all know that the key to becoming competitive on a global scale is through education. By knowing things, how they work, what makes them work, and their impact on our lives we are able to better ourselves and make life on Earth such a breeze. We have been living with this notion and it is why the global standards have also been set very high. Those with sterling academic credentials get chosen by the top companies and are more likely to go up the corporate ladder. If anybody will ever say that education is the same wherever school you graduated from is seriously delusional. It is not the reality of our times anywhere on this planet especially if you live in major cities where the population continues to explode and many people are competing for the same job.

If you live in the US, you also have an idea how expensive getting an education is. While you have the option of going to a private or public school in your primary and secondary years, the game changes once you step on college and the university. The tuition fee is seriously outrageous and only a handful can afford to pay it without making use of student loans to help them finish school. The downside is that they are already deep in debt by the time they graduate that most of their earnings go to paying off the student debt they have accumulated over the years. Even today’s government does not have an optimistic view on education and it’s spreading an either you make it or not the mindset to today’s youth that is clearly one of the problems why America seems to be stuck in a rut while the rest of the world keeps on pushing forward.

Education seems like a prime issue for non-zero sum politics and policies. Indeed, the core idea behind public education is inherently non-zero sum: We believe that enabling individuals to learn and fulfill their potential will not only benefit the individuals themselves, but also advance broader economic prosperity and civic well-being. Abundant research bears this out: Countries where students stay in school longer and learn more have higher economic growth. Education increases workers' productivity, allowing greater earnings; expands opportunity; and is correlated with improved health and longevity for both individuals and communities or societies. And improving educational outcomes for those at the bottom benefits everyone, by reducing crime, public dependency, and other social ills.

Public and policy debates about education, however, increasingly reflect the same zero-sum assumptions as our broader politics. At the individual level, affluent families treat their children's education and development as a competition – investing tremendous energy and money to ensure their children get the right grades, participate in the right enrichment activities and secure a scarce slot in the best colleges. 

(Via: https://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/articles/2017-11-17/zero-sum-thinking-hinders-progress-of-american-education)

The sad thing about education right now is the fact that not everybody can afford it. Those who have the cash to burn can send their kids to prestigious skills and enroll them in various workshops so they become knowledgeable and skilled as well in other areas aside from what’s taught in the four corners of the classroom. Hence, it is no longer surprising that these affluent kids do better in exams at school or get hired right away in big companies soon after graduating because they have all the edge employers are looking for. If politicians are sincerely interested in the well-being of their younger constituents, they will stop wasting time tackling nonsense things and attacking one another but focus on issues that really matter to everyone.

The Trump administration has been widely criticised for its education policy, helmed by US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, which has pushed for the establishment of more privately-owned charter schools at the expense of public schools.

“We must protect parents’ access to a wide range of high-quality educational choices, including strong public, charter, magnet, private, online, parochial, and homeschool options,” said Trump’s statement over the weekend.

A recent study from the American Federation of Teachers and Badass Teachers Association found that teachers were reporting higher stress levels and lower job satisfaction under the leadership of Trump and DeVos.

(Via: https://www.studyinternational.com/news/trump-proclaims-american-education-week/)

Whether you are a pro or anti-Trump, we can no longer change the fact that he is the one leading the nation, to where we can only guess. His radical mind is not something for the masses and he clearly is still second-guessing how best to realize his dream of making America great again. One of his obvious major mistakes is appointing the wrong person for the job and it was obvious from the beginning the disapproval from the majority once the news has been released. Rapid globalization shows how other nations are doing their best to produce world-class workers and if the US doesn’t get its act straight, then we may lose our edge over the others and it can have a drastic impact to our economy.

The following post de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2postlinkde482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2 is available on The IPac Action Blog

source https://ipaction.org/blog/american-education-in-peril/

It Is Never Too Late To Start A Business

Most of us have that perception that it is difficult to open a business. Well, that is partly true. Of course, with any business, you have to put in your time, effort, resources, and being into whatever business endeavor you decide to take on. You don’t just open the next thing business you think of without proper planning or it will be bound to fail sooner rather than later. But do not let these fears and worries stop you from going out of your comfort zone and realizing your dreams because you will never really know unless you try, no matter how cliché it seems. Sometimes, a little common sense can go a long way and it is something you should never lose regardless of whatever stage you are in planning or implementing your business goals.

You have to extra careful if you are a novice in the field. Experience can definitely help you trudge on this unfamiliar path more confidently. If it is your first time to start any sort of business, you can always learn from other people’s experience and spare yourself from all the misfortune of costly business mistakes. And now that the holidays are almost here, it is the perfect opportunity to dabble in the field of business. People have more cash to burn and they are definitely in a more generous mood. Those with an entrepreneurial spirit can easily make lots of money. You can sell stuff for gifts, sell food, or whatever you can think of that will be a likely hit this holiday season. A big capital is not even mandatory. You can start with whatever money you have on hand and take it from there.

We all dream of having a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. To do this, we can either find a job or start our own business. 

Working for a company is how most people support themselves. But people should also try their hand at building a business. 

If you want to get into business, there’s no better time than now. Take advantage of the Christmas season. 

We are just a few days away from Christmas and the holiday season provides lots of opportunities for enterprising individuals to earn extra, from making kakanin, crafts, Christmas decorations to children’s toys. Dozens of bazaars are all over the place these days. 

As I have often said, you don’t need to start big, especially if you don’t have enough capital to start with. 

(Via: http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/09/17/business-mentor-this-christmas-give-business-a-try)

You don’t even have to give up your current work in order to be able to do business although, for some who intends to do it full-time, you may need to focus solely on making money by selling or doing business and resign from your job altogether. There are risks but it is yours to take. It depends on how well you think your business will fare that you would risk losing your main source of bread and butter for something that may very well be temporary. One thing you should bear in mind is not to give your all unless you are 100% sure that success will soon be in your hands. So, why not give it a test-try this Christmas and enjoy not just the holiday cheer but profits from all the sales you have made.

And no starting point is too small, either. Starting a business is easier than ever thanks to technology and social media. Long gone are the days of an entrepreneur having to rent out a brick and mortar store and advertise in the Yellow Pages. Now, folks can set up shop by creating a mobile-friendly website and snapping a few pictures of their products, and social media allows entrepreneurs to reach more people than ever before. There are websites and apps dedicated to linking small business owners to new clients, such as the Official Black Wall Street app, which helps Black-owned businesses gain exposure to over 116 million users.

(Via: https://www.bustle.com/p/why-you-should-start-a-business-in-2018-if-youre-looking-for-ambitious-new-years-resolution-7524744)

You don’t need to create something extraordinary to enjoy a slice of today’s market. Just know who your target market is and whether that void has already been filled in your community. Even if there is already an existing business that offers what you want to do, you can still provide something else that they don’t like more affordable products or services, better customer service, or some freebies of sorts. There is always a chance for your business to shine if you just know how to look outside of the box, find the right associations, and come up with more ingenious ideas that can crack your target customers into switching to your business instead. Don’t wait for next year to take the first steps. Now is the best time to start planning so you start the year right and you can still take advantage of the holiday rush to make the initial profits you might need in backing up your business.

The following blog post de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2postlinkde482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2 was first published on https://ipaction.org

source https://ipaction.org/blog/it-is-never-too-late-to-start-a-business/

Parenting Is Not Always An Easy Thing

Being a parent is never easy because you have the lifelong obligation to love and care for a child until your last breath. Your children will always be your babies no matter how old they get. Then come grandchildren. Unlike parents, grandparents love to spoil their grandkids with treats because they don’t feel that obligated for their well-being or their future anymore. Well, don’t take it wrong but it’s that way for ages and grandparents love to spoil the young ones while the parents worry themselves over providing for their kids’ needs and what the future holds for all of them. If you look at it a little closer, though, you’d notice that parenting today has drastically changed in just about every aspect. Even kids themselves have changed a lot too and our environment probably has to do with it too.

For starters, there is too much technology in the world today. Even kids have their own smart devices. It is often the parents’ fault why their kids are hooked to gadgets because they just give it to them so they can entertain themselves while their harassed parents multitask on work and many other stuff that characterize modern living. And kids’ don’t just play games because they also have access to the Internet, which isn’t always a good thing with social media full of so many dangers even to adults. If parents aren’t distracted, they are hovering like helicopters making them fully-dependent on adults to do almost everything for them.

Parenting today is even more different and difficult than I realized. Every generation is a bit different from the last because the world changes. But the rapidity of change has never been greater nor its effects more potentially troubling.

As I have said before, my parents’ modest home was truly a castle that protected their values. No outside influence could cross the figurative moat. Today? The world…with all its violence and vulgarity…enters our homes through numerous screens that are all over the place, relatively cheap, easy to use, extremely attractive (and even addictive) to our young.

(Via: http://tucson.com/lifestyles/parenting/a-grandparents-view-of-modern-day-parenting/article_d72c8a1a-b435-52bb-b6f1-ac654632d81e.html)

Aside from the tech distractions we have to deal with constantly that catches the young ones’ attention so they choose to ignore ours, the noise is undoubtedly glaring too. Whether it is from your devices or the sounds emitted by your surroundings, silence comes far in between. Even boredom is virtually non-existent and it is not good for kids as they become more impatient. They want everything done in an instant. Kids lose patience and complain a lot because they never had to deal with boredom before. Although not all of these are directly the parents’ fault, them allowing their children to indulge in these modern tech gadgets is something they can be held accountable for and have contributed why parenting is so difficult these days.

Interestingly, by the time a baby chick hatches out of its shell, the hen has incubated the egg and rotated it several times a day. As the egg reaches maturity, the hen pecks a small hole in the end so the chick can breathe. When its time to hatch, the chick pecks small holes all the way around the inside of the egg, and then spends hours pushing against it to break free. It’s mother watches and waits. Her job is done. In the end, the chick is tired and exhausted, but able to walk, see, hear, and feed itself. Intervening in that natural process can kill the chick.

Our children need to break out of their own shells. They’ve got to flex their muscles to gain strength, and find out what they are capable of doing. Sometimes they’re more surprised than we are. That’s the best part.

(Via: https://goodmenproject.com/families/parenting-gets-harder-if-youre-doing-it-right-dg/)

What parents need to realize is that the essence of parenting never changes despite the passing of time or modern advances we are now enjoying. We may do everything for them as kids but that should change as they grow older. Instead of babying them, they should be taught how to do things on their own so they won’t have a hard time adulting later on. Parents can shower their kids with love and adoration but they should also give them a chance to soar high on their own by teaching them life skills as soon as they are ready and enable them to have a better and brighter disposition in life. It is not easy doing that but a parent’s role is to prepare their kids for adult life and not chart the course they are supposed to take. Allow your children to make their own choices and experience what life is all about. You can’t always spare them from the pain, hurt, and dangers of the outside world but you can assure them that you would be there for them no matter what.

de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2postlinkde482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2de482eb4182815e4397bda7e9c10d3fd88d8e09da808395d54f8dd885ae330e2 is available on IPAB

source https://ipaction.org/blog/parenting-is-not-always-an-easy-thing/