“Gee, It’s Almost Like the Democrats Are Pro-Science!”: Study Reveals That Republican Policies Are the Cause of Low Life Expectancy in the US

Michelle HollandNov 30, 2023

Minute Read

A new study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS One has concluded that the main reason why the U.S. has a lower life expectancy than over 60 countries is Republican policies.

Better Life Expectancies Than the U.S.

61 countries have average lifespans of greater than 78, with Japan being one of the highest at 85. Similarly, the life expectancy is 83 in South Korea and Australia, 82 in Italy, France, Spain, and New Zealand, and 80 in the UK and Germany. The U.S., surprisingly, has a life expectancy of just 77 years old.

Reflection of Healthcare

Average life expectancies are generally considered a reflection of a country’s healthcare system and level of development, though statistics are influenced by a range of factors. Given that the U.S. is the richest country in the world in terms of total wealth, most would expect its population to live much longer.

A Life Expectancy of 77

Other countries with average lifespans of just 77 include Iran, Tunisia, and Morocco. But the most shocking revelation in the study isn’t America’s low average lifespan — it’s the fact that Republican policies are entirely to blame.

The Scientific Study

The rigorous study was funded by the National Institute on Aging, a sector within the United States’ National Institutes of Health, and concluded that in the year 2019, 171,030 fewer Americans would have died if Democrats governed all Republican states.

A Bleak Reality

The report also determined that if the GOP had run all Blue states, and thus imposed its healthcare, tax, labor, and gun policies on more citizens, an additional 217,635 people would’ve died. This suggests an even bleaker reality that could occur if the Republicans gain more control in next year’s presidential, House, and Senate elections.

Anti-Mask Policies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Republicans espoused anti-mask and anti-lockdown rhetoric, and some even denied the severity of the pandemic. A study by the Brookings Institution published in 2021 found that GOP anti-mask and pro-snake-oil policies killed 400,000 citizens between March 2020 and 2021. These deaths could’ve been entirely prevented.

Mary Trump’s Condemnation

Following the release of the study, alongside a report from Congress that analyzed Trump’s response to the pandemic, deeming it incompetent and malicious, Trump’s niece, psychologist Mary Trump accused him of being a “mass murderer” and responsible for the excess lives lost.

Anti-Vax Propaganda

Republicans also promoted anti-vax propaganda during the pandemic, leading to many people opting to remain unvaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccines were proven to save lives and help life gradually return to normal, thus many who did not get vaccinated suffered more severe cases of the virus and died unnecessarily.

The NYT Weighs In

Editorial credit: Matthew Nichols1 / Shutterstock.

The New York Times reported: “Since December 1, when health officials announced the first Omicron case in the United States, the share of Americans who have been killed by the coronavirus is at least 63 percent higher than in any of these other large, wealthy nations, according to a New York Times analysis of mortality figures.”

Rich Republican Hypocrisy

Most of the people who suffered preventable deaths as a result of being unvaccinated were Republican supporters and voters, not wealthy politicians or TV commentators. Fox, for example, required its employees to receive the vaccine, despite the right-wing Fox News channel pushing anti-vax and anti-mask conspiracy theories.

Infant Mortality Rates

Similarly, a 2014 study by the International Journal of Epidemiology titled “US Infant Mortality and the President’s Party” found that between 1965 and 2010, infant mortality rates were “below trend when the President was a Democrat and above trend when the President was a Republican.”

Deadly Policies

They added: “Republican administrations were characterized by infant mortality rates that were, on average, 3% higher than Democratic administrations,” before concluding there to be a “robust, quantitatively important association between net of trend US infant mortality rates and the party affiliation of the president.”

The Internet Reacts

Many people online took to message boards to express their lack of surprise at these conclusions. “Gee, it’s almost like Democrats are pro-science,” one person commented. “Are you saying that my routine of ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and drinking my own urine was ineffective — the MAGA,” another said.

Influencing Elections

Others suggested that the result of the study, and others like it, could have an impact on future elections. “This WILL affect some close elections. As time goes on it will be more likely close elections will be affected. This is one of the many reasons the GOP wants to restrict voting, to make up for their shrinking numbers,” someone posted.

An Important Factor

Some people, on the other hand, suggested that since Republican states tend to be more rural and Democratic states urban, hospital distance could be a major reason behind the disparity in life expectancies. “Rural healthcare is generally further away and not as good as urban. Obesity rates are higher in rural areas,” someone explained.

Jobs in Red vs Blue States

They continued, “I think careers would impact this. Labor is going to impact health more than working in an office environment.” Another individual concurred: “More dangerous jobs in rural areas with worse healthcare. Plowing is more likely to kill you than a desk job.”

Mike Johnson’s Ambition

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.

Despite this, it is easy to see how the GOP’s policies on guns, healthcare, and fossil fuels, among other issues, are leading to more deaths, and unfortunately, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wants to introduce more bills gutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to reduce the national debt. If he succeeds, more harmful laws could be enacted, meaning more Americans will needlessly lose their lives.