The PH Generation
Our generation seems to distinguish itself more through its meticulous evasion of ideology than through any political commitment. For Ivy-Leaguers, the twin perils of careerism and consumerism offer an easy way of deferring more prickly questions about social responsibility. After all, it’s easy to deplore our generation as creatures of craven, cynical, postmodern times, but, in our defense, if the twentieth century has taught us anything, it is to be wary of utopian idealism. It might not be true that all grand ideas pave a royal road to Auschwitz – but then again, why take the risk? And yet, underneath this veneer of purported apathy, a slow but steady revolution is taking place. more>>
The Economics of Health Care
To understand the economic forces behind America's skyrocketing healthcare costs, one must first realize that a permanent fix is unrealistic. Healthcare is expensive, and the more that people demand it, the costlier it becomes. Furthermore, healthcare is a victim of its own success: as medical care continues to improve through technological innovation, the country’s sick and elderly will burden the economy with the high price tag of their steadily increasing lifespan. While it is easy for doctors, economists, and politicians to point fingers at one another, with one camp indicting privatized care for its high administrative cost, and with another camp slamming the government for its wasteful subsidies, the real problem and its solution lie somewhere in between these adversarial positions.more>>