Americans eat too much, exercise too little and as a result are too fat. Not everybody is obese, but enough people to call it a crisis. Moreover, America's obesity problem has become a metaphor for our economic troubles: We are simply too flabby to compete in a cutthroat global economy.

However, instead of seeing obesity as a problem, maybe it's time we recognized it as an opportunity—the rare chance for the United States to dominate a new industry. The bad news is a whopping 30 percent of Americans are obese, up 14 percent from the early 1970s. Obesity-related medical costs are $100 billion, almost as much as those from tobacco; and half of these costs were picked up by the public in the form of Medicare and Medicaid. According to the American Medical Association obesity causes about 112,000 premature deaths annually. Moreover, there are almost as many fat kids as adults.

The good news is we are ahead of the curve. The world may be getting flatter, but it is also getting fatter. Our head start in chubbiness gives us the chance to dominate the dynamic fat economy. Our competitive disadvantage in the gym could ultimately be a competitive advantage ...<< MORE >>

One of the problems with the financial world is that the average American does not understand it. Take for example the popular wisdom about the Wall Street crisis. According to this view: No cog in the federal government’s machine of financial regulation let down the country by failing to prevent the latest—and largest—shakeout on Wall Street; the entire system did. In short, most people think the current financial meltdown is the culmination of 28 years of deregulation and lack of oversight. Although true, this view misses an important point.

Nowhere in the avalanche of bad news is the Federal Reserve called to account. Blaming the entire system or the Republicans or the Democrats or lax regulation conveniently ignores the Fed’s role in creating excess liquidity out of thin air—trillions of paper dollars backed by nothing in particular. Without the flood of cheap cash the Fed ginned up, credit would have retained a higher cost and been less available. When banks are awash in cheap paper, they seek to lend it. If there is so much paper that all the credit worthy borrowers have drunk their fill, then banks begin turning over rocks to expose the sub-prime and sub-prime borrowers.

Debt ...<< MORE >>

The Problem

Inadequate Security and Political Progress in Iraq: Since the surge began, more than 1,000 American troops have died, and despite the improved security situation, the Iraqi government has not stepped forward to lead the Iraqi people and to reach the genuine political accommodation that was the stated purpose of the surge. Our troops have heroically helped reduce civilian casualties in Iraq to early 2006 levels. This is a testament to our military’s hard work, improved counterinsurgency tactics, and enormous sacrifice by our troops and military families. It is also a consequence of the decision of many Sunnis to turn against al Qaeda in Iraq, and a lull in Shia militia activity. But the absence of genuine political accommodation in Iraq is a direct result of President Bush’s failure to hold the Iraqi government accountable.

Strains on the Military: More than 1.75 million servicemen and women have served in Iraq or Afghanistan; more than 620,000 troops have completed multiple deployments. Military members have endured multiple deployments taxing both them and their families. Additionally, military equipment is wearing out at nine times the normal rate after years of constant use in Iraq’s harsh environment. As Army Chief of Staff ...<< MORE >>

Every day we hear about US casualties in Iraq; we hear about the young men and women killed and wounded fighting for freedom in Iraq. But we are not told the real cost of the war; we are not told of the tradeoffs, opportunity costs, and the long term consequences of diverting billions of taxpayer dollars overseas in what appears to be a war without end.

The following is my attempt to connect the dots with what is happening in Iraq with what is not happening here at home. The figures I have used come from antiwar.com—a source I have found to be both accurate and concise.

Human Cost of Occupying Iraq

Casualties in Iraq

American Military Casualties in Iraq: Total/In Comabt

American Deaths Since war began (3/19/03): 4146/3369
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4007/3261
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3685/3063
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3287/2736
Since Election (1/31/05): 2709/2473

American Wounded - Official/Estimated

Total Wounded: 30561 / Over 100000

Opportunity Cost to Local Government

So far the United States has spent more than $545 billion on the war in Iraq. But what does that figure mean in taxpayer tradeoffs? What does that figure mean opportunities lost and long term consequences. I looked for ...<< MORE >>

On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama believes both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why he’s proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference.

The Obama plan provides affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan. Under the Obama plan, patients will be able to make health care decisions with their doctors, instead of being blocked by insurance company bureaucrats.

Under the plan, if you like your current health insurance, nothing changes, except your costs will go down by as much as $2,500 per year.

If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of new, affordable health insurance options.

Make Health Insurance Work for People and Businesses - Not Just Insurance and Drug Companies.

• Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums.
 
• Create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees.

• Lower costs for businesses by covering a portion of the catastrophic health costs they pay in return for lower premiums for employees.
 
• Prevent insurers from overcharging doctors for their malpractice insurance and invest in proven strategies to reduce preventable medical errors.
 
• Make employer contributions fairer by requiring large employers that do not offer coverage or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of their employee’s health care.
 
• Establish a National Health Insurance Exchange with a range of private insurance options as well as a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.

• Ensure everyone who needs it will receive a tax credit for their premiums.

Reduce Costs and Save a Typical American Family up to $2,500 as reforms phase in:

• Lower drug costs by allowing the importation of safe medicines from other developed countries, increasing the use of generic drugs in public programs and taking on drug companies that block cheaper generic medicines from the market .

• Require hospitals to collect and report health care cost and quality data.

• Reduce the costs of catastrophic illnesses for employers and their employees.

• Reform the insurance market to increase competition by taking on anticompetitive activity that drives up prices without improving quality of care.
The Obama plan will promote public health. It will require coverage of preventive services, including cancer screenings, and increase state and local preparedness for terrorist attacks and natural disasters by freeing  hospital emergency rooms from serving as clinics for the poor.

A Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility: Barack Obama will pay for his estimated $50 - $65 billion health care reform effort by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year and retaining the estate tax at its 2009 level.