Art Carden wrote a terrific article this morning about the great economic progress we have made in the last 2 years. It says “Born in Freedom or Born in Sin? Exploitation and Modern Prosperity,” EconlibNovember 4, 2024.
One episode:
WE ARE FREE: He is rich, It is interconnected, You are civilizedagain You are healthy. What does this mean?
First, I refer to those of us who were lucky enough to win the local and historical lottery and find ourselves in European countries or their offshoots such as the United States and Canada. If you are reading this, there is a very good chance that you are among the 5% richest people in the world and 1% of the richest people who have ever lived.
I have pointed out in interviews that the most important asset most Americans have, even if they have few tangible assets, is their US citizenship.
Art also writes:
The leading killers today are diseases of aging and obesity like cancer, not viruses or wars. More people die of cancer because more people live long enough find out cancer.
That reminded me of what the late Aaron Wildavsky and his son Adam Wildavsky wrote in “Danger and Safety” in the book by David R. Henderson, editor. The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics:
On the other side of the spectrum, cancer deaths continue to rise, although their prevalence has decreased, and deaths from major cardiovascular diseases remain high.Why is this not the case? Cancer is mainly a disease of aging. When people die at about half the current life expectancy, they die before they have a chance, if one can call it that, of getting cancer.
Note: The photo above is by Aaron Wildavsky.
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