CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Former President Bill Clinton said Friday that disasters such as worldwide famine and an obesity epidemic could destroy the U.S. health care system unless politicians begin to plan ahead and cooperate on these issues.
Clinton, speaking at a forum sponsored by Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, said governments fail to act even when disasters are anticipated because leaders are distracted fulfilling campaign promises and responding to immediate emergencies. Big-picture planning gets “crowded out,” he said.
“This is coming,” Clinton said. “And I know there is no great political constituency for it, but we can avert these disasters for not very much money if they can be put into the public debate and people understand clearly what’s going to happen.”