"Under Bush, the infant mortality rate has risen for the first since 1958"

[dajoki]

if you're a compassionate conservative and a uniter not a divider, no thank you we are better without you, dumbya.
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NYThttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/opinion/06kristof.html?th&emc=th

The Larger Shame

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: September 6, 2005

The wretchedness coming across our television screens from Louisiana has illuminated the way children sometimes pay with their lives, even in America, for being born to poor families.


It has also underscored the Bush administration's ongoing reluctance or ineptitude in helping the poorest Americans. The scenes in New Orleans reminded me of the suffering I saw after a similar storm killed 130,000 people in Bangladesh in 1991 - except that Bangladesh's government showed more urgency in trying to save its most vulnerable citizens.

But Hurricane Katrina also underscores a much larger problem: the growing number of Americans trapped in a never-ending cyclone of poverty. And while it may be too early to apportion blame definitively for the mishandling of the hurricane, even President Bush's own administration acknowledges that America's poverty is worsening on his watch.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported a few days ago that the poverty rate rose again last year, with 1.1 million more Americans living in poverty in 2004 than a year earlier. After declining sharply under Bill Clinton, the number of poor people has now risen 17 percent under Mr. Bush.

If it's shameful that we have bloated corpses on New Orleans streets, it's even more disgraceful that the infant mortality rate in America's capital is twice as high as in China's capital. That's right - the number of babies who died before their first birthdays amounted to 11.5 per thousand live births in 2002 in Washington, compared with 4.6 in Beijing.

Indeed, according to the United Nations Development Program, an African-American baby in Washington has less chance of surviving its first year than a baby born in urban parts of the state of Kerala in India.

Under Mr. Bush, the national infant mortality rate has risen for the first time since 1958. The U.S. ranks 43rd in the world in infant mortality, according to the C.I.A.'s World Factbook; if we could reach the level of Singapore, ranked No. 1, we would save 18,900 children's lives each year.

[Lindacooks]

1. Hopefully, another nail in repuke's coffins.

What do you think about that, you fucking anti-choicers who worship Bush*?

[dajoki]

7. forcing poor women to have babies...

and no funds to help take care of them. he would rather give it to his disgustingly wealthy buddies and fight an unjust and immoral war.

[existentialist]

26. Yes, except that

if the reports I've heard are true--though I have no documentation on the point--then the number of abortions has also risen under George III.

[dajoki]

30. here is documentation

CULTURAL REVOLUTIONS

ABORTION is on the rise in the United States—and has been since George W. Bush was first inaugurated President in January 2001. Current estimates of the number of abortions performed annually in America hover just above 1.3 million. What may astonish many of the “moral values” voters who reelected President Bush last November is that, from 1992 to 2000 (coinciding with President Clinton’s eight years in office), abortions actually declined significantly, from 1.528 million to just over 1.1 million—the lowest rate since 1974.


http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/www/Chronicles/2005/January2005/0105Richert.html

[BlueEyedSon]

2. We are a 3rd world country, just look at the response to Katrina

[Arkana]

3. But abortion kills babies. Remember that, kids.

:sarcasm:

[TahitiNut]

But ... but ... but ...

At least gay people can't marry!!

And they're going to make sure there're fewer people who have access to abortions!! (Force 'em to give birth and get those infant mortality stats up there, folks!!)

:grr: :grr:

[Mass]

4. Surprising - this would mean that it was not higher with Reagan than with

Carter and Clinton.

IMHO, it is false. It climbed with Reagan and probably went down with Clinton.

[renie408]

5. I have heard this stat on NPR myself.

About a month ago, our local NPR station did a segment on the welfare of children in the US and this stat was quoted. I would be curious to know what evidence you are using to back up 'your honest opinion'??

[Mass]

9. Do you mean you think that Reagan had a lower rate

of infant mortality than Carter or Clinton (?). I remember than, when he was president, statistics were saying that he was making the situation worse.

I believe no problem that Bush is worst than Reagan or anybody else since 58. I just dont believe that Reagan was better than Clinton on that issue.

[renie408]

11. I don't think that what I 'believe' really matters that much

It's what I can prove that counts. The statistic that I have heard quoted more than once and in more than one context is that infant mortality rose for the first time in forty years with BushII. So, I guess that does mean that I think that infant mortality was either the same or lower with Reagan than with Carter and again either lower or the same with Clinton. Reagan was AFTER Carter, right?

[renie408]

12. And here is what I can prove...

Go to http://www.newsaic.com/ftvww76p.html and you will see a chart that shows the steady decline of infant mortality over the past fifty years. Apparently, Reagan did have lower infant mortality rates than Carter and Clinton's were lower still than Reagan's.

[dajoki]

13. rates for raygun and clinton

reagan-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=4001915&dopt=Abstract

PIP: The speed of decline of the US infant mortality rate diminished markedly to 2.7% (10.6 deaths) in 1984, and the likelihood that the goal of an infant mortality rate of 9 will be reached by 1990 is less likely. A definite change that took place not long before the rate of decline flattened out was the reduction by the Reagan Administration in the funding of several programs for children, mothers of young children, and pregnant women. Many observers think these cutbacks have contributed significantly to the change in the infant mortality rate trend by weakening national policies for the care and protection of pregnant women.


clinton-http://www.clintonfoundation.org/roa-child-immuniz.htm

Infant mortality dropped by about 20 percent from about 1990 to 2000, from 8.9 to 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.

[dajoki]

19. it flattened...

with raygun and went down with clinton. check my post on rates for stats.

[Mass]

22. Thanks.

[dajoki]

23. no problem. n/t

[JVS]

6. USA USA USA!

[whatever4]

8. And we're about the worst industrialized nation

But yes, target abortion, all those baby loving types. Forget all about the living, loved ones that were wanted and have names, birthdays, all that.

Target the women. That fixes everything.

It figures. Bully boys always pick on the girls. Same bullies never really grow up. They just pick new targets.

Never pick on anyone their own size. Minority groups and women, targets always.

[Julius Civitatus]

10. USA: third-world country in disguise

And Katrina has certainly exposed what's under the clothes...

:cry:

[dajoki]

16. the third world is...

disgusted by us as well as the industrialized world. you are correct, we've been exposed.

[melody]

25. Americans are third world citizens in a first world country n/t

[Connie_Corleone]

14. DEATH, DEATH, DEATH!!

That's all this idiot is good at.

[John Q. Citizen]

15. Nominated n/t

[genius]

17. Bush is the leading baby killer in America.

[dajoki]

18. the world?

[Initech]

24. Which is kind of ironic, coming from the pres who's "on the side of life"!

I'm surprised that the bullshit "culture of life" isnt completely outraged and disgusted by this!

[Vinca]

20. I'd say it's risen to new heights in Iraq as well. nt

[dajoki]

21. without a doubt!! n/t

[SeanQ]

27. But but we have a CULTURE OF LIFE!

:sarcasm:

And the rates of divorce and unwanted pregnancies are generally far lower in 'blue' states than in 'red' ones. ... But yet it's supposed to liberals that are hurting children and ruining society! :mad:

Let's save the BORN!! Statistically, as I understand it, a better standard of living does more to prevent abortions than making them illegal did!

[dajoki]

31. don't forget about...

those Boston liberals causing the priests to be pedophiles.:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[sakabatou]

28. Culture of Life my ass

[WePurrsevere]

29. How many babies will be added after the NO body count is done....

how many would still be alive if Bush had: not cut funding, not sent LA's NG to Iraq under FALSE pretenses, not delayed rescues and help for DAYS, not blocked help like the Red Cross.... how many of those LIVING beautiful otherwise healthy BABIES would still be ALIVE and not stacked up like sacks of potatoes in makeshift morgues?

As a mother who has lost a child (to SIDS) my heart goes out to all the parents who have had their children die, who have watched their children a slow agonizing death and who begged, prayed and hoped help would come but never did. I pray they find some justice and some day some small bit of peace.

[Zenlitened]

32. But, but, but... Kristof said something nice about a Clinton.

Is that allowed here? :shrug:

</weary of the "can't-tell-the-left-from-the-right" conversations around here lately>

:)