I ran across this story this morning on BBC News.  The story revolves around a study conducted by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Conrad Hilton Foundation and Oxfam America.  In the report they completed, these groups state that Americans rank 42nd among developed countries for life expecentancy, even though we spend more money per person on healthcare than any other country in the world.

It would seem that our healthcare dollar isn’t quite stretching as far as those other 41 countries, wouldn’t it?

From BBC:

Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed nation, according to a report from several US charities.

The report found that the US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country.

Overall, the American Human Development Report ranked the world’s richest country 12th for human development.

US slips down development index

We, as a nation have gone through one of the most ridiculous and ill-constructed “regimes” in world history when considering the Bush-Cheney Administration.

Their inability to do anything but invoke the Reverse Midas Touch to anything and everything they touch has to be one of the most incredulous stories in written history.  Their ability to come out smelling like roses in the media must also be one of the most incredulous stories in written history.  

Unfortunately, for those soldiers that have fought Bush’s wars, the smell of death permeates this story.  Their inability to have anything more on their side but a bunch of Profits-Above-ANYTHING Neo-Con’s and a group of Citizens that are not listened to by their Governments has been to their serious detriment.  A lack of necessary equipment, food, clean water and a goddamned PLAN has all come together to cause much more death and destruction for not only those soldiers from “our side”, but the civilians and families in the coutries that Bush determined were to be brought under control.  (See Oil, Natural Gas Pipelines and Profit).

It is not just American Soldiers dying in Bush’s wars.  Soldiers from other countries, who joined the with Bush on his quest for profit and retribution are dying as well.

Dead soldier Sean McCarthy’s body returns to Australia

Standing up to President Bush and his administration, the Iraqi Government did not give into pressure to sign the Security Agreement that BushCo had been trying to force upon them.  This “Status-Of-Forces” agreement was being pushed hard by the Bush Administraion before they left office next January, as Bush and his cronies wanted to make absolutely sure they had tied the hands of the next Administration when it came to the troops in Iraq question.  

Unlike our Congress, Prime Minister Nouri al-Malaki has learned to say “NO” to President Bush and has bucked the whole Bush Regime just recently when al-Malaki stated that it was getting close to time for all Foreign troops to leave his country.  

Of course, as soon as he stated this, the Bush Administration bumper sticker motto of “When they stand up, we will stand down” became “We aren’t standing down, thar’s OIL in them thar sands,” or something to that effect.

From The Washington Post:

U.S. and Iraqi negotiators have abandoned efforts to conclude a comprehensive agreement governing the long-term status of U.S troops in Iraq before the end of the Bush presidency, according to senior U.S. officials, effectively leaving talks over an extended U.S. military presence there to the next administration.

In place of the formal status-of-forces agreement negotiators had hoped to complete by July 31, the two governments are now working on a “bridge” document, more limited in both time and scope, that would allow basic U.S. military operations to continue beyond the expiration of a U.N. mandate at the end of the year.

The failure of months of negotiations over the more detailed accord — blamed on both the Iraqi refusal to accept U.S. terms and the complexity of the task — deals a blow to the Bush administration’s plans to leave in place a formal military architecture in Iraq that could last for years.

My emphasis

(h/t to mishima for tipping me off on this story and providing the link)

Amazing!

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants the U.S. to begin a timetable for removing our military from their country, and yet our Stubborn-Profits-Over-American-Lives-Or-The-Wishes-Of-A-Soverign-Nation Decider doesn’t want to do that.  He doesn’t AGREE!  

Not only does he NOT want to do what they want him to do, I assure you he WILL NOT do it.

Politically it would kill what remains of the Republican Party smokescreen if Bush agreed to a “TIMETABLE” for withdrawl of our Military in an election year, as the opposition Democratic Party has been calling for all along.

From AP:

Iraqis want US pullout timeline

Let’s pretend for a moment that you are a country.  Well, the seminal head of a country, so to speak.  

As the mouthpiece and the conveyor of all information that the people of YOUR country would like YOU to communicate to the rest of the world, your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to make sure you truly speak for your fellow countrymen and countrywomen with one voice that soars the virtues of YOUR country and it’s ideals and passions!

OK, Hold that thought.  

G8 Crisis

From BBC News:

Rising food and oil costs, an uncertain global economy, climate change and Zimbabwe’s political crisis face the G8 leaders who are gathering in Japan.

The summit is being held at a secluded resort on the northern island of Hokkaido guarded by some 20,000 police.

Protesters have been gathering ahead of the three-day forum starting on Monday.

A US official said the gathering was likely to “strongly condemn” Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe over a disputed presidential election run-off vote.

The Group of Eight (G8) consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.