[eDebate] Cuba vs. US using Korcok's source & metrics

[Trond E. Jacobsen]

Mike Korcok provides several metrics for evaluating the quality of life 
in a country. He provides plausible reasons these metrics are better 
than others (can be measured, capture impact of many factors, 
applicable in diverse contexts, etc.).  Let’s accept his metrics, even 
though I am sure many will agree others merit consideration and these 
have their flaws.

Mike asserts democratic socialism/communism is an unrelenting nightmare 
for their subject populations.  That may well be true, but not in Cuba 
by the metrics he defends as the best for such comparisons.

All data below from Mike’s source:
http://www.indexmundi.com/

except GDP per capita, taken from the CIA World Fact Book.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2004rank.html

All comparisons are (US : CUBA)

GDP per capita, rank (9 : 146)
(I’d use the more meaningful GINI metric but the data are old for Cuba).

Death rates, rank  (101 : 125)

Death rates (8.26 : 7.14)

Infant mortality, rank (177 : 179)

Infant mortality (6.37 : 6.04)

Life expectancy at birth (78	 : 77.08)