American inequality highlighted by 30-year gap in life expectancy

[lostnotforgotten]

By Leonard Doyle in Washington
Thursday, 17 July 2008

The United States of America is becoming less united by the day. A 30-year gap now exists in the average life expectancy between Mississippi, in the Deep South, and Connecticut, in prosperous New England. Huge disparities have also opened up in income, health and education depending on where people live in the US, according to a report published yesterday.

The American Human Development Index has applied to the US an aid agency approach to measuring well-being - more familiar to observers of the Third World - with shocking results. The US finds itself ranked 42nd in global life expectancy and 34th in survival of infants to age. Suicide and murder are among the top 15 causes of death and although the US is home to just 5 per cent of the global population it accounts for 24 per cent of the world's prisoners.

Despite an almost cult-like devotion to the belief that unfettered free enterprise is the best way to lift Americans out of poverty, the report points to a rigged system that does little to lessen inequalities.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-inequality-highlighted-by-30year-gap-in-life-expectancy-869736.html?ref=opinion

Snip ----

Guess this means we're not number one?

[NOLALady]

1. "Guess this means we're not number one? "

Not even number two.

[givemebackmycountry]

2. Actually....

We are No. 42.

Proud to be a 'Mericun.

[bbgrunt]

3. I think we are number one in both actual number and

percentage of population incarcerated. So we can still be proud.

[Mnemosyne]

5. Don't forget we are Number One in world arms sales! :( n/t

[natrat]

4. maybe people in the south die young because they eat pork rinds for breakfast

it's hard to have sympathy for people who abuse their bodies through poor diet

[emilyg]

6. Didn't know you were Kosher

}(

[paparush]

7. Whoa, whoa, whoa..if the LE in Conneticut is 75, the LE in Mississippi is 45????

Are you fucking kidding me?

[Posteritatis]

8. Or the 50-year black/asian gap

I know there's appalling life expectancy gaps in the US at various points, but I can't believe that one without some evidence.

[eridani]

10. Makes no sense at all, unless you assume--

That life expectancies in Mississippi are now the same as life expectancies in Connecticut were 30 years ago. If that's what they meant, they should have made it plainer.

[paparush]

12. That MUST be what they mean.... I must be reading that wrong.

[undeterred]

9. The real fundamentalists in our society are the believers in free enterprise

as the way to run society.

[Skittles]

11. lack of safety nets means more people going under are staying under

yup

[flashl]

13. And, its hard to remain healthy if the ground you walk on literally is poisonous

and the EPA claim its 'helpless'

Current Deficiencies in Environmental Health Protection

1. EPA does not have the authority to prevent the construction of a proposed polluting facility. EPA does not have the authority to approve the construction of a proposed nonpolluting facility. If subsequent to the issuance of an operating permit the EPA were to find a civil rights violation, the EPA would have no power to stop the operation or even to provide any other form of relief to the victimized community.

2. EPA's only remedy against an environmental civil rights violating state is to attempt to cut off financial assistance to the violating state. EPA has never requested a cut-off of financial assistance to a state for such a violation. Moreover, the cut off of such funds can only occur if the U.S. Congress does not object.

3. Courts have ruled that victims of environmental racial discrimination have no standing to privately enforce federal agency civil rights regulations.

4. A community may file a civil rights complaint with the EPA only after a state has already issued a permit to operate the facility being opposed.

5. Of the 130 environmental justice complaints filed by minority communities across the nation between 1992 and 2002, only four (4) have been fully investigated and EPA has ruled against all of those complainants. And even if EPA ruled in favor of such complainants for an environmental civil rights violation, the agency would be powerless to provide any relief to the complaining community.

EJC