We're # 1! We're # 1! Except we're not.

Just as lying to oneself does one no good, neither do we help our nation when we lie to ourselves about our problems. The only way we can defeat our challenges is to face them in reality, not some irrational haze of false patriotism with hands over our ears shouting "We're number one!"

In health care, we are most indisputably, not number one.

The Conference Board, which has been issuing the report card since 1996, ranked the 16 countries according to 11 criteria, including life expectancy, mortality due to cancer, circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases, metal disorders, as well as infant mortality and self-reported health status.

Japan was once again the top-ranking country. Switzerland, Italy, and Norway also earned "A" grades.

"B" grades were given to Sweden, France, Finland, Germany, Australia and Canada, while Netherlands, Austria and Ireland earned a "C" grade, the report showed.

Along with the United States, Denmark and the United Kingdom got "D" grades.

That's the reality. To fix it we need to take a rational, hard look at the problem and make some tough choices. In my mind, that means offering low cost health insurance to those who cannot afford it now. Because when we don't offer that safety net, we all pay through bankrupt neighbors, higher emergency health care costs, more social services, foreclosures. Helping to take care of those less fortunate is also a moral imperative and one that shouldn't be beyond "the greatest nation on Earth."

If we are the greatest, then we need to prove it by taking care of our own people.