Out of Control Health Costs or a Broken Society
Flawed Accounting for the US Health Spending Problem By Jeff Goldsmith Source: OECD, Our World in Data Late last year, I saw this chart which made my heart sink. It compared US life expectancy to its health spending since 1970 vs. other countries. As you can see,  the US began peeling off from the rest of the civilized world in the mid-1980’s. Then US life expectancy began falling around 2015, even as health spending continued to rise. We lost two more full years of life expectancy to COVID. By  the end of 2022, the US had given up 26 years-worth of progress in life expecta...
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 9, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Health Policy COVID Drug Overdoses gun violence Hospitals Jeff Goldsmith Maternal mortality Mental Health Obesity Poverty Regional Economy Society Source Type: blogs

Out of Control Health Costs or a Broken Society
Flawed Accounting for the US Health Spending Problem By Jeff Goldsmith Source: OECD, Our World in Data Late last year, I saw this chart which made my heart sink. It compared US life expectancy to its health spending since 1970 vs. other countries. As you can see,  the US began peeling off from the rest of the civilized world in the mid-1980’s. Then US life expectancy began falling around 2015, even as health spending continued to rise. We lost two more full years of life expectancy to COVID. By  the end of 2022, the US had given up 26 years-worth of progress in life expectancy gains. Adding four more ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 9, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Health Policy COVID Drug Overdoses gun violence Hospitals Jeff Goldsmith Maternal mortality Mental Health Obesity Poverty Regional Economy Society Source Type: blogs

The Tragic but Unsurprising Costs of Loose U.S. Weapons in Ukraine
Jordan CohenOver the last 48  hours, national news outlets have begun reporting that Ukrainian militias used U.S.-made armored vehicles (albeitunconfirmed by the U.S. government) in anattack over the Russian border and that Ukraine ’s security services conducted a drone attackagainst the Kremlin earlier this month. It is important to note that despite Washington ’s support for Ukraine, the United States was not involved in either attack. This recent escalation – with U.S. weapons systems in one case – is disappointing but not surprising.Since the start of the conflict, I  have writteneightdifferenteditorialsaddr...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - May 24, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen Source Type: blogs

Two Years Later: Biden Has Finally Taken the First Step on Stopping Risky Arms Transfers
Jordan CohenPresident Joe Biden ’s administration just released itsConventional Arms Transfer policy, which dictates who can buy U.S. weapons and how the arms transfers process should function. These policies come directly from the White House; former President Donald Trump issued the last Conventional Arms Transfer policy in 2018, which was primarily focused on the economic benefits from weapons transfers.The Biden administration ’s Conventional Arms Transfer policy makes two notable changes. First, it adds text about norms and human rights. Specifically, it notes that the U.S. should “prevent arms transfers that ri...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 23, 2023 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen Source Type: blogs

The Yemen War Powers Resolution Vote Is An Important Step Towards Recalibrating the U.S.-Saudi Relationship
Jordan Cohen andJonathan Ellis AllenThe War in Yemen is the worst manmade humanitarian disaster in the 21st century, and the United States has sponsored it from the start. Nevertheless, on December 13, 2022, the Senate will vote to dischargeS.J. Resolution 56, also known as the Yemen War Powers Resolution, from committee. If passed, the legislation would “remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against the Houthis in Yemen within 30 days of the enactment of this joint resolution unless Congress authorizes a later withdrawal date, issues a declaration of war, or specifically authorizes the use of the Armed Forces.”...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - December 13, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen, Jonathan Ellis Allen Source Type: blogs

What Biden Has Gotten Right on Immigration
David J. BierPresident Biden ’s handling of immigration is the subject of intense scrutiny and criticism from all sides. Much of this criticism is right, but the president has also implemented many positive policies. While it often acted too slowly and has much more to do, the new administration has already reversed the most important restrictionist policies imposed by the Trump administration.Major Big Picture ActionsEnding the “security” travel bansOn January 20, 2021, President Bidenfully rescinded President Trump ’s ban on immigration and certain travel for nationals of Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Syria,...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - November 29, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: David J. Bier Source Type: blogs

Biden Had It Right … Until He Didn’t
Jordan Cohen andJonathan Ellis AllenU.S. arms transfers have become a salient issue during the Biden administration given the Saudi ‐​led war in Yemen, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and continued sales to risky neighbors.Over the past few weeks, the Biden administration has had to balancesupporting Ukraine from a brutal attack while also trying to prevent concerns over weapons dispersion to dangerous groups outside of the country. The administration announced that it is sending$400 million more to Ukraine through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Additionally, Saudi Arabia ’s ongoingwar in Yeme...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - November 8, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen, Jonathan Ellis Allen Source Type: blogs

Not Looking Like Leverage: The False Promises of Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
Jordan Cohen andJonathan Ellis AllenIn June, the State Department issued a report suggesting that poor oversight over U.S. weapons in thewar in Yemen directly led to civilian casualties, starvation, and displacement. On September 7, Senators Bernie Sanders (I ‑VT), Elizabeth Warren (D‑MA), and Mike Lee (R‑UT)sent letters in response arguing that the U.S. role in this conflict is “an unacceptable failure” and that the “United States may be complicit to in Yemen would represent a failure in the Biden administration ’s stated prioritization of human rights and our core democratic values.”An estimated...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - September 12, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen, Jonathan Ellis Allen Source Type: blogs

Where Is The Red Carpet? Biden ’s Inane Trip To Saudi Arabia
Jordan CohenAhead of his trip to the Middle East, President Joe Bidencoined an op ‐​ed in theWashington Post explaining his reasons for traveling to the region —specifically, Saudi Arabia. The President is going to ask Saudi Arabia for help with oil prices and, in exchange, possibly resume sales of offensive weapons to Riyadh that he halted early in his administration.Unfortunately, the reality is that such a  decision would prove costly.Biden notes that his tough approach to Saudi Arabia —including revealing the intelligence report on the Khashoggi murder, issuing new sanctions on those involved in Khashoggi’s ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - July 11, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen Source Type: blogs

No, the United States Should Not Kowtow to Saudi Arabia to Stick It to Russia
Justin LoganThe war in Ukraine grinds on, and Western observers seem to be growing frustrated with Russia ’s ability to sustain the war. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen has recently arrived at a ceasefire, although there are plenty of reasons to worry that it will revert to form. Some authors have begun to weigh tradeoffs in U.S. efforts in both theaters.Fareed Zakariawrites that in order to impose more stringent energy sanctions against Russia, Washington needs to go hat in hand to Saudi Arabia and cut a deal for it to pump more oil:The only plausible path to keep the pressure on Russia while not crip...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - April 27, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Justin Logan Source Type: blogs

Congress Should Require TPS for Immigrants from Nations With Armed Conflicts
David J. BierSince 1990, the executive branch has had the authority from Congress to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to people already in the United States who are from countries in which an “ongoing armed conflict within the state" exists. A bipartisan group in Congress wrote a letter to the Biden administration requesting that it designate Ukraine for TPS, and then they also proposed  legislation torequire it to use its authority.Finally, the administrationhas relented (with the full details still to be filled in). But Congress should still recognize the procedural problem with giving total discretion to th...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - March 4, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: David J. Bier Source Type: blogs

Values in Arms Exports?
Jordan CohenSenator Patty Murray (D – WA)recently re ‐​introduced legislation called theValues in Arms Export Act. This legislation would amend theArms Export Control Act– originally passed in 1976 – to include the evaluation of “responsible behavior and compliance with human rights and law of war the U.S. demands of states purchasing U.S. weapons.”How This Legislation Would Work:This bill comes in the wake of increasing violence around the world involving U.S. weapons – whether it be in Yemen, the Philippines, Mexico, or Central America. To address this problem Sen. Murray’s legislation would create an O...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - February 11, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen Source Type: blogs

Freedom in Decline for 83% of the World ’s Population: New Human Freedom Index
Ian V ásquezThe vast majority of the world ’s population (83%) has seen a decline in freedom since 2008. That includes decreases in freedom in the ten most populous countries of the world—China, India, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, and Mexico.So finds theHuman Freedom Index 2021(HFI) co ‐​published today by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute in Canada. The index uses 82 distinct indicators of economic, personal, and civil freedoms to rate 165 jurisdictions from 2008 to 2019, the most recent year for which internationally comparable data is available.The decline ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - December 16, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Ian V ásquez Source Type: blogs

Congress Seeks to Halt US Weapons in Yemen
Jordan CohenOn June 2, 2015, Saudi fighter jets dropped six bombs in Yemen – four on Uqba bin Nafie School and two on Al‐​Masnah Health Clinic. The led to the destruction of the school and health clinic and a civilian casualty. While a minimal amount of opposition fighters in the school died, there is no record of these fighters entering the health clinic. The tools used to commit these attacks were US ‐​made, laser‐​guided Mk‐​82 warheads.These same bombs were used in an August 2018 airstrike on a school bus in Yemen that killed dozens of children. Moreover,ReliefWeb, documented 27 unlawfu...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - November 19, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen Source Type: blogs

Heidi Grant ’s Resignation and the Future of U.S. Weapons Sales Policy
Jordan CohenOn October 13, 2021, Heidi Grant – the director of the Pentagon agency in charge of weapons sales – announced that she is resigning. This follows an internal debate within the Biden administration. Simply, Grant opposes the administration ’s decision not to sell drones to the UAE and other Middle Eastern allies. This division fits within a large discussion about the role and safety of arms transfers in U.S. foreign policy. As policymakers are coming to agree, American weapons transfer policy needs to change as the risks and lack of strategic benefits are increasingly evident.Recipients of U.S. milita...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - October 13, 2021 Category: American Health Authors: Jordan Cohen Source Type: blogs