Empire at the End of Decadence

LP note: China is beating the pants off us in high-speed train development and green technology manufacturing, just to name two examples of the future economy. Meanwhile, a significant portion of this country is more worried about whether they can carry a gun to the supermarket or whether the country is turning into a socialist state by guaranteeing health care for all — it's not — or whether they should have to pay taxes — taxes! — to pay for all the benefits they receive from living in one of wealthiest countries of the world, including subsidized gas for their SUVs.


There is a rational disconnect going on in this country, perpetuated by a wealthy, powerful few who have used classic, historically proven techniques to bamboozle a certain portion of the citizenry into supporting their greedy, self-righteous agenda. Ideologies of the past are celebrated — indeed revered — while concepts of the future are denied. This was not how America became great; rather, it is a method of slow suicide....


By CHARLES M. BLOW
NYT

It’s time for us to stop lying to ourselves about this country.

America is great in many ways, but on a whole host of measures — some of which are shown in the accompanying chart — we have become the laggards of the industrialized world. Not only are we not No. 1 — “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” — we are among the worst of the worst.

Yet this reality and the urgency that it ushers in is too hard for many Americans to digest. They would prefer to continue to bathe in platitudes about America’s greatness, to view our eroding empire through the gauzy vapors of past grandeur.

Republicans have even submitted a draconian budget that would make deep cuts into the tiny vein that is nonsecurity discretionary spending, cuts that would prove devastating to the poor and working class. [VV NOTE: This chart is arranged from "better" to "not so good". Note that the U.S. is rated #33 of 33 comparable countries. Of course, studies like this one are highly dependent upon the variables used and the data collected.]


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