Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Paying to Live Longer, But Not Necessarily "Live"

So in my gallivanting through the BEA I happened across the national accounts where they break them down into pretty specific detail. And out of curiosity I calculated how much housing accounted for GDP over time.


Again, still a long ways to go.

But while I was there, why not find out what percent of the economy other sectors account for?

So I looked at two;

Recreation and Medical Care.



And while we spend now twice the percent of the economy on "recreation," we've increased our spending 6 fold on medical care.

I think we've forgot what life is all about. For the left would like you to think that the true measure of "standards of living" and happiness is how much is spent on education, healthcare and touchyfeelygoodfeelings. No wonder the UN and all the bevy of NGO's always point to the worthless "Human Development Index" as a measure of "happiness" No wonder "Finland" tops the "Best Country to Live In" in all these commie-sponsored studies.

The true measure of happiness is how much disposable income you have and how much of it you spend on recreation.

Too bad too many people are paying to live longer, but not necessarily live.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Captain I agree with your analysis of a bloated real estate market but how does your analysis take into consideration a period of great (if not hyper) inflation that we are headed towards? In this scenario don't all assets sky rocket in value, first and foremost real estate?

Anonymous said...

You can't enjoy life when you are ill. Good Health Care if fundamental to our lives. You should consider the magnitude of medical inventions before you complain about rising costs. Forty years ago the seniors of society just had to live with their bad backs, diabetes, dementia, etc. (just some examples).

Then you omit the fact that health care has to be the most expensive part of economy, because there is probably no other job in the world that needs so much education and every-day concentration and responsibility, not to mention the high-tech machines that are used in so many hospitals throughout the country.

After all, there's nothing more important in life than being in good health. Just ask John Smith what he's willing to pay to get well again when he's driven to hospital after an accident with an SUV.

To put it in terms of economics, the demand curve for intensive health care is perfectly inelastic.

Alfred T. Mahan said...

Worse yet, the left usually wants it sunk into gigantic, bloated government healthcare programs from the infernal regions that employ untold thousands of otherwise-unemployable Liberal Arts majors with nose rings, weird hair, etc.; these parasites thus are blessed with a secure job pretty much for life, a sense of self-worth, and this is done at taxpayer expense and government bloat. So, instead of doing something worthwhile with their lives, such as taking actual courses or starving to death, the LA types will continue to go to school on Uncle Sucker's dime.

Hurrah for bureaucracy. Private sector? What's that?

Anonymous said...

Captain, you are either very lucky, or very young. Ill health and spending or health care is mainly not a voluntary choice. All the money in the world won't make you happy if you are bed ridden. To enjoy recreation you have to be reasonably healthy.

Alfred T. Mahan said...

Oh, I don't know, Anonymous; I believe the Captain knows at least one person with major health issues (heart defect from birth that nearly killed them; brain tumor at the age of thirty, grand mal seizure epilepsy) who manages to enjoy life regardless of their fairly major medical issues.

Given that they're a mutual acquaintance, I find it wryly amusing that this person works in the health care industry.