With regards to EU Rota's comments on life expectancy differences between the US and Western Europe ["What Differences" [October 13, 2005], he leaves out one important factor: Americans live riskier lifestyles in general. We drive more cars (and as a result have more accidents and deaths), do more drugs, are far more obese, and generally have riskier sex lives (most of these problems are especially prevalent in the black community). A better comparison between health care systems would involve life expectancy after turning 65, because a) most of the irresponsible people have died off and b) most of our health care consumption occurs after we turn 65. As it turns out, American life expectancy after 65 (16.1 years for men as of 1999) falls less than half a year short of France and Canada (each at about 16.5 years for men, according to the CDC). Also, it is interesting to note that Hong Kong, the most capitalist country on Earth, ranks No. 1 in this category. Puts a nice little hole in Krugman's theory, don't you think?

Peter Johnson