US boasts low self-employment rate

This article shows 2007 self-employment rates for various countries. And the US places...20th. So much for the "American Dream"... Who would you guess is #1 (I bet you're wrong)?

So what do the other countries have in common? Or is there something unique about their entrepreneurial citizenry? The article speculates national health care may, in fact, encourage entrepreneurialism. Perhaps a leap-to-conclusion, but an interesting topic to discuss. Segue...


I argue the biggest push for healthcare reform should be to keep US companies competitive globally. When other countries have their governments kicking in for most healthcare costs, how can US companies keep their services-/goods-pricing competitive? Either they cut profits (not likely) or cut benefits. So what can the US government do to discourage the latter? Some options:

• Tort reform - to lower medical liability insurance prices, which are currently passed on to the patient (by hiking up rates which insurance companies must absorb and pass on to policy holders)


• Health insurance reform - limit ability of insurance companies to probe into personal history records (heredity illnesses)


• National health coverage - have government help foot the bill. But will this really lower prices?


• Incentivize healthy behavior - exercise and the like that will ultimately reduce the burden to (and costs of) health care


• Tax imports more heavily - aside from violating many free trade agreements, I think this is the easiest but laziest way out of the predicament. It defrays the cost to other countries who would then be less likely to do business with us. In a global economy, this is not good business...

Less the last option, I think comprehensive health care reform must (at least) consider these options and perhaps employ some healthy combination of them all.

Am I way off?