The sky is not falling. Americans are getting healthier.
Key takeaways
- Because a sky-is-falling attitude — as opposed to sober observation — provides them with the political cachet to push dramatic policy reforms.
- There are elements of both parties that are reluctant to accept good news if it gets in the way of political aims.
- The number of deaths from heart disease is falling.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Why? Because a sky-is-falling attitude — as opposed to sober observation — provides them with the political cachet to push dramatic policy reforms. Climate alarmism to sell costly Green New Deal-style regulations is a textbook example from the last decade.
The left is not alone in crisis storytelling. There are elements of both parties that are reluctant to accept good news if it gets in the way of political aims. This is especially true when it comes to American health — an area in which there is, in reality, a lot to celebrate.
Obesity rates are finally declining. The number of deaths from heart disease is falling. According to the American Cancer Society, 7 in 10 people now survive at least five years following a diagnosis. That s up from only half in the 1970s. What were once common childhood diseases are all but eradicated. Life expectancy in the U.S. has reached a new high of 79 years.