Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

If you normalize the data to account for homocide and automobile crashes (the US has more of both than anywhere else, and they skew life expectancy numbers but are not an indicator of health care effacy), the US has the highest life expectancy in the world. 

While there are always issues with statistical measures of most health care metrics*, this is the kind of thing we need to do more often.  Use your critical thinking skills, and read more than just what one side or the other presents.  And more than what the media present.

(* One of the biggest issues is how infant mortality is calculated.  In many countries, a baby that dies within 48 hours of birth (or more!) is considered stillborn, where in the US it is not.  That significantly changes the numbers, but is generally ignored by people with something to sell.)

Link via Q and O.