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American Exceptionalism (Not the Good Kind)

Expect light blogging over the next few days. I've got more than the usual reporting to do. In the meantime, you might enjoy this brief lecture from Beth Linker, a professor of history and the sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Linker's theme is "American exceptionalism," but not the kind people usually invoke. She is referring to our health care system, which is exceptional for its history of treating health care as a luxury rather than a right.

Linker's talk is part of Penn's "60 second lecture series" and it is as quick as the name suggests. I'm trying not to think too hard about the fact that it takes me between 40 minutes and an hour to make the same essential point when I give speeches.