Equality in the age of doubt

Freedom index vs. Per Capita GDP (Wealth)

Il Papa Francesco, Pope Francis, is a profoundly compassionate man. He cares deeply for the people  and abhors inequality.

In his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium,” Il Papa excoriates free market capitalism:

Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality Such an economy kills.

The Holy Father goes on to give a hiding to trickle-down economics:

In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.

While the Pope is a good man, a holy man, he would flunk Econ 101.

First, let’s address inequality.

Our economic system, based on the concepts of individual liberty, private property rights, and free markets, does not guarantee equal outcomes. It does, however, offer equal opportunity. According to the US Census Bureau, the top 5% of black families now make over $148,000 per year. Is that immoral? Or did they strive to earn it?

Let’s take an honest look at inequality. Does anyone who knows anything at all about football resent the fact that Tom Brady makes more money than you do? Are you exercised that Taylor Swift has a seaside mansion and you don’t? Does it keep you awake at night that Kim Kardashian is worth $85 million? (OK, that last one stings a bit).

Are you unhappy that Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton, and the Obamas are all wealthy? You are simply ungrateful.  They want nothing more than your vote and will give you a small stipend in exchange.

On the other hand, Tom Brady made his own fortune based on personal talent and equal opportunity. So did Taylor Swift. As did the top 5% of black families. Hillary? Not so much – she had connections and the Clinton Foundation.

Let’s get back to our Holy Father, Pope Francis. He writes that trickle down theories “have never been confirmed.” This is possibly due to his exposure only to the twisted capitalism of Argentina, where political connections are the key to success. But there is proof that free markets work, and more poignantly, are the single strongest force on Earth to raise the poor from their shackles of poverty.

Please note the graph nearby. It relates two variables: GDP per capita (individual wealth) and freedom of markets. To the upper right we have countries ranking high in freedom and high in wealth. To the lower left are those with little wealth and less freedom. The relationship could not be clearer – less freedom, less wealth. And the corollary – less control, more wealth.

Regarding the nearby chart, countries to the upper right have a high rank of free markets and per capita GDP. These are wealthy countries like the United States, Singapore, Norway, and Switzerland.

At the other end of the spectrum, the lower left, are Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Central Africa, and the Congo, with highly controlled markets and an excess of poverty.

We have made great progress in raising people from poverty. And we know how to do it. Governments that foster and protect free markets. Governments that pursue and eliminate corruption. Governments that focus on infrastructure and education. The opposite, in fact, of Zimbabwe.

There is so much innumeracy in our electorate, every election is a sad event. If only we could educate each other. The reality, the logic, is so simple. And the outcome, if we were to only reason, would be so much better for us all.

Battling the obesity epidemic (with dark chocolate)

Lindt 90% Cocoa Dark Chocolate

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tell us that we are suffering an obesity epidemic. “Obesity is common, serious, and deadly.” Forty percent of middle age adults are obese.  

While obesity may seem somewhat harmless, and is even normalized by Hollywood (Melissa McCarthy, “Mike and Molly”), obesity is anything but cuddly. “Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.”

Further, it is very expensive. The Boston Globe recently decried that Massachusetts health care spending spiked 4.8% last year, an unsustainable rate. So it should concern us to learn that the CDC has identified the significant costs of obesity: “The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion… the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight. “

It’s clear that if we can begin to reduce this plague of obesity, we would reap a number of benefits: longer life, better health, and reduced medical costs (both individually and socially).

But how to achieve that goal?

Again, the CDC: “The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn't short-term dietary changes; it's about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity.”

We hear this more and more, from a variety of sources. Just get more exercise, bike, jog, or walk. And eat better.

Let’s focus on the latter point. A pair of recent studies reemphasize the importance of your microbiome, the trillions of bacteria resident in your gut.

In a study performed at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, researchers tracked the blood chemistry and gut microbes of 893 people. What they found was surprising. The kinds of bacteria in your gut can affect your weight and heart health. Additionally, according to Dr. Tara Narula, on “CBS This Morning,” "the more diverse your bacteria were, the better your HDL and triglycerides.”

In separate findings, several studies in the United States point to a complex relationship between diet, gut microbes, and immune system response. Science News reported on May 30 ”A tantalizing line of evidence suggests that unhealthful foods — fatty, salty, sugary, processed foods — may disrupt the body’s defenses in a way that promotes inflammation, infection, autoimmune diseases and even illnesses like cancer.” And the link to that result was gut bacteria.

The bottom line is that you are the caretaker of your microbiome. Trillions of bacteria in your gut depend on you to maintain their health and diversity. And report after report is confirming that if you take care of them, they will take care of you.

OK, simple enough. What do these little fellas like?

Well, it turns out they don’t like red meat. At least not regularly. But they do like dietary fiber. Dr. Narula, on CBS, urged us to eat less red meat and processed foods, and more fruits, veggies, and high-fiber foods. She also recommended probiotic foods containing bacteria, such as yogurt, fermented foods, and soft cheese.

Changing your diet to favor foods high in fiber is a key strategy to a happy microbiome. But there is lots of conflicting advice out there, and misleading claims and labels on food products. Harvard Health has come to your rescue. Using only two numbers from the nutritional label that adorns all retail food items, you can select those high in fiber. They call it the 10-in-1 rule and here’s how you do it:

1.       Locate the “Total Carbohydrates” number on the label. It will be in grams, for instance 23g.

2.       Immediately below that, find the “Dietary Fiber” number. Let’s say its 5g.

3.       Divide the Total Carbohydrates number by 10: 23/10 = 2.3

4.       Now compare that result to the Dietary Fiber number: 2.3 is less than 5.

This is a good selection for a high fiber diet. You could further shop around for another brand that offered an even better ratio. The lower, the better.

Here’s another example. A common brand of potato chips has these numbers:

·         Total Carbohydrates – 25g

·         Dietary Fiber – 2g

Nope – 25g divided by 10 is 2.5, and 2.5 is greater than the 2g of dietary fiber. This is not a good choice.

In addition to labels on food items at the grocery store, you can use the web to find the equivalent nutrition label for a variety of foods. What you will find might surprise you. Mashed potatoes have more dietary fiber than white rice. Brown rice is better than mashed. But a baked potato, skin on, dressed with olive oil and vinegar like a salad, is a sound high-fiber choice.

And then there are the real surprises. While candy and chocolate bars fail the fiber test miserably, there is an exception: a dark chocolate bar with 90% cocoa and minimal sugar qualifies as a high fiber food.

Yes, you can make both you and your microbiome happy. Good eating.

On politics and terrorism and our thin blue line

Oh what a week it has been.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson are now neck and neck at the head of the Republican primary pack. And CNN has reevaluated its criteria which may allow Carly Fiorina to join the crowded debate stage on September 16.

That three political outsiders have risen so strongly in the polls gives proof of the peoples’ disgust with establishment Washington. Carefully calibrated positions, politically correct formulations, and raw hypocrisy have left the voters deeply disgusted. So candidates who speak obvious truths (among Mr. Trump’s wild exaggerations) without submitting to the verbal constraints demanded by the liberal elite are eagerly embraced.

For instance, there is a political cartoon currently making the rounds on social media illustrating this point. It depicts a puzzled  President Obama on a “Wheel of Fortune” set asking the host, “Gee Pat – I don’t have a clue… workplace violence?  Armed insurgency? Can I buy a vowel?” The game board displays “_SLAM_C  TERROR_SM,” and the caption reads “And it’s even his favorite vowel.”

Why does this strike home? Because everyone knows that the horrors perpetrated by the Islamic State and Boko Haram are rooted in their Islamic beliefs, twisted as they may be. We know it. President Obama knows it. But he will not bring himself to say the words. That is deeply distressing to the populace who desire a clear identification of our adversary and what motivates them. Somehow, we hope, Trump and Carson and Fiorina will not be afraid to name the enemy.

Meanwhile, the Hillary Clinton private email server story will just not go away. Seven thousand more of her emails released by the State Department contained significant redactions. Redactions (black outs) of text indicate that the text is sensitive. Arguments are swirling whether she committed a crime by not using a federal email account. Yes. No. Perhaps. Or, possibly, only technically a crime.

Here are a few questions for you. Why did her email server share an IP address and SSL certificate with the Clinton Foundation’s email server? Was her server STIGed to federal security standards? Why did Mrs. Clinton wipe her server and submit the emails to the State Department as a pile of printed documents? Why are we not privy to the email metadata? (For those confused by the forgoing, ask your son-in-law in IT or any high schooler to research it for you).

There is one thing for certain. Wall Street banks, dogged by populists such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, would not get away with providing printed copies of email to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC would assert that the missing metadata was material, and that printed emails were subject to undetectable alteration. The regulatory response would be swift,  harsh, and the fines quite steep.

In other topics, there has been a deeply disturbing trend playing out. Consider this:

Charles Gliniewicz

Darren Goforth

Henry Nelson

Steven Vincent

Carl Howell

Sean Bolton

Scott Lunger

Sonny Kim

These are all police officers who have been killed by gunfire in the past few months. One in particular, Goforth, killed in cold blood, ambushed. Officers dead. Families bereft. Kids fatherless. It is hard to appreciate the depth of the loss.

But not less, the loss to their communities. These officers were sworn to serve and protect. In their absence, their communities are less safe. It is difficult to understand the mindset of activists and protesters who carry signs proclaiming “Police are the Enemy.”

What a twisted worldview.

Yes, there are some bad cops. There are bad teachers and doctors and baseball players too. But we don’t paint them all with the same brush. Unfortunately, the debate in this country as of late has done just that.

The vast majority of police officers are honest and fair. Their job is incredibly difficult. They never know, when encountering a subject, whether that is an upstanding citizen such as yourself or a psychopathic criminal. The danger is palpable, their precautions understandable.

Here is a bit of advice. Never argue with a police officer. Comply with his or her directives. If you feel you are being treated unfairly, lodge a complaint later with his superiors or with a judge. So many tragedies, almost all of them, could have been avoided.

In closing, it is now September. The shadows are growing longer, the days shorter. Take a deep breath and enjoy this late bit of summer. Politics and civil strife and global terrorism will wait until tomorrow.