Kevin Fleming

Malcolm Gladwell Responds

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In response to my previous post, Malcolm Gladwell (it appears, one cannot be too certain) wrote in the comments:

“Can i suggest that before attacking my article, you first read it? I never once say that I’m in favor of dental insurance. I merely point out that people without general medical coverage can’t afford to pay for preventative dental care. And nor do I saw that the health care system is an efficient free market. I say–quite the opposite–that the amazing thing is that a country that is otherwise committed to economic efficiency would tolerate such a grossly inefficient health care system. Trust me. It’s not that hard to read a 4000 word article.”

I am certain that Mr. Gladwell is not seriously suggesting I had not read his article, but rather uses this cute device to imply that my interpretation was so far afield from his intent, one could only assume the critic (that is, I) had not in fact read the piece at all.

But it was indeed read, and several times, mostly in astonishment that such a slightly argued discussion was published in a major magazine. It appeared to contain virtually every canard supporting nationalized health care I have ever seen in print.

Others have, as I had noted, already critiqued several of its deficits. My main concern was that the initial argument introduced in that article, that:
“People without health insurance have bad teeth because, if you’re paying for everything out of your own pocket, going to the dentist for a checkup seems like a luxury.”
was never in fact demonstrated in the article.

Read on.

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Disaster Preparedness Guidebook

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For Instapundit’s Carnival of Hurricane Relief

Perhaps these lessons from other disasters would prove useful.

From the National Community Development Association (NCDA),
the Disaster Preparedness Guidebook for Community Development Professionals
Sept. 2003

The information provided enables community development professionals to
obtain practicable information based on case studies from several areas of the
country that experienced natural disasters: Hurricane Andrew, the Des Moines
flood, the Northridge earthquake, and the 1998 Florida wildfire season. In the
event of a natural disaster such as a tornado, flood, hurricane, earthquake, or
forest fire striking in their community, community development professionals
can be better prepared either to directly provide necessary services or to guide
citizens to the appropriate agencies or departmental representatives for assistance.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Roles & Responsibilities of Community Development Professionals …………..1
Citizen Needs & Resources Available ……………………………………………………..5
Lessons Learned from Past Disasters ……………………………………………………….7
Case Studies
Hurricane Andrew (FL)…………………………………………………………………………9
The Des Moines Flood (IA) ………………………………………………………………..17
The Northridge Earthquake (CA) …………………………………………………………25
The 1998 Florida Wildfire Season…………………………………………………………39
The Oklahoma City Bombing………………………………………………………………61

Looting in Louisiana

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According to WWL TV in New Orleans, the hurricane has brought out looters.
“With much of the city emptied by Hurricane Katrina, some opportunists took advantage of the situation by looting stores. At a Walgreen’s drug store in the French Quarter, people were running out with grocery baskets and coolers full of soft drinks, chips and diapers.

When police finally showed up, a young boy stood in the door screaming, “86! 86!” — the radio code for police — and the crowd scattered. “

An August 11 2005 USA Today article noted the passage of an anti-price gouging law and stiffened penalties for looting.
“Civil action can be taken against price-gougers, including fines and restitution. Criminal penalties range up to six months in jail and $500 in fines for each violation.
Also, looting during states of emergency starts carrying heavier penalties on Monday: a three-year minimum prison sentence and up to 15 years. Backers of that bill said fear of being looted was a hindrance to getting storm-threatened residents to evacuate.”

One man watching the looters said.”To be honest with you, people who are oppressed all their lives, man, it’s an opportunity to get back at society.”

It is a surely measure of the character of a people what their thoughts turn to in a disaster. That ‘looting’ was foremost on their minds is reprehensible, to be sure. But it speaks volumes for the type of people they are, none of it good.

Get back at society?
I fervently hope this is an isolated incident.

Helicopter Parents: why the Hovering?

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According to the Boston Globe, colleges are complaining about ‘helicopter parents‘, describing moms and dads whose constant hovering leads to overinvolvement in their student’s life. Such overparenting, they say, “endangers a crucial development phase in which students are seeking to become self-reliant.” Administrators say they began to notice the uptick in parents’ calls and oversight five to seven years ago. Schools have responded, attempting to impede some parents’ intervention on behalf of the student.

Point taken, but one wonders: why the hovering?

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Malcolm Gladwell Tips Over

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In the August 29 issue of the New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell makes so many errors in discussing national health insurance, it’s hard to believe the piece was reviewed by an editor. To fisk it all would mean to delete it.

Arnold Kling does an excellent job junking Gladwell’s misguided notion of “moral hazard” (and the notion that American health care economists are mistakenly “obsessed” with the idea).

And Slate’s Mickey Kaus nicely rips Gladwell’s claim that health care copayments are a bad idea.

But Gladwell begins his piece discussing how the lack of dental care among the poor demonstrates the need for socialized medicine.
“People without health insurance have bad teeth because, if you’re paying for everything out of your own pocket, going to the dentist for a checkup seems like a luxury.”
Curiously, he does not follow up and tell you whether this method succeeds in producing better teeth in the UK, Canada, or elsewhere.

HT: Instapundit

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