How to reduce American carnage

AT HIS INAUGURATION in 2017 Donald Trump rejected the uplifting vision of America that such ceremonies usually extol. Instead he warned of “American carnage”, painting a picture of industrial devastation and lives stolen through crime, gangs and drugs. In office Mr Trump hardly managed to change the country for the better. But on “American carnage” he had a point: too many Americans are dying too young.The numbers are shocking (as our describes). A study last year of life expectancy in 18 rich countries showed that America fell from a middling position in the 1980s to last place in 2018—and that was before the covid-19 pandemic took a disproportionate toll on Americans. To some extent this reflects striking gains in life expectancy elsewhere. Take Portugal, the next-from-bottom country in the ranking, which has thrived within the European Union. In the 1960s the average American could expect to live at least seven years longer than the average Portuguese; by 2018 it was a year less. It is stunning that on such an important measure America has fallen behind a country that remains only a third as rich per head. In terms of life expectancy, America may even have been overtaken by China.