America Isn't The Greatest Country Anymore

Written by Lance Roberts on Monday, November 12, 2012

This weekend I had my first opportunity to watch "Newsroom," an HBO series, and I was struck by the opening sequence of the show as Jeff Daniels, aka Will McAvoy, discusses why America WAS the greatest country in the world - but no longer is. Here are the stats as he breaks them down:

The U.S. is:

7th in literacy
27th in math
22nd in science
49th in life expectancy
178th in infant mortality
3rd in median household income
4th in labor force
4th in exports
But here are some other stats where the U.S. ranks as well:

19th is State success
3rd in oil production
12th in prosperity
22nd in freedom of the press
2nd in child poverty
30th in nocturnal safety
3rd in "liking" the United Sates (behind Japan and Kenya)
11th in "happiness"
22nd in freedom from corruption
24th in "perceived" honesty
39th in income inequality
4th in employees "faking" illness
3rd in human development
10th in economic freedom
17th in credit "worthiness"
4th in global competitiveness
47th in infant survival
38th in trade freedom
8th in researchers
12th in thriving population
34th in the Children's index
61st in monetary freedom
and, most depressingly, 50th in erection length.

You get the idea. The rise of economic strength was built on the backs of hard working Americans who built stuff from skyscrapers to railroads. We farmed, we produced and we raised families. The pride of "built in America" was the flag that we waved.

America just voted for a continuation of dependency. Dependency on government for handouts from food stamps to welfare. Dependency on the graciousness of our neighbors to continue loaning us money to support excess spending. America has become a debtor nation and the cancer of debt has eroded our economic prosperity.



Can America be great again? Absolutely. America has an indomitable spirit and a will to succeed unmatched my any on this planet. It just requires a spark to bring us together as a country to make the sacrifices necessary to return America to its former greatness. However, it requires great leaders that will fight for moral values, stand up for what is right, strike down the wrong laws for the right reasons, fight for those in poverty, care about our neighbors and put our money where our mouth is.

Yet it is great leadership that has been missing. Each leader has followed the same path of profligate spending and reckless disregard of the long term economic drain for short term economic gains. The country needs a leader that is willing to take the risks of failure to achieve success. A leader that is willing to fall to earth while reaching for the stars. A leader willing to accept the responsibility for his successes as well as his failures. Our Forefathers were great leaders. We have forgotten what great leadership meant. We have opted for mediocrity and self-indulgence and we have reaped the harvest that we have sewn.

It's not too late for America. Will McAvoy is right: "The first step in solving any problem is recognizing that there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore." We must acknowledge the program. We must choose to return to begin the long road to recovery by becoming an informed and educated electorate. We must begin making the right choices, sacrifices and demanding the same from our leadership. I have hope.

Not so sure, SEE. I think the traditional American spirit of "Can do" has been replaced with "Government should do for me."

I don't think it will turn around, at least not before we collapse, which is coming soon.

Yes, the timeline coincides with what I keep saying - 32 years - 1980 is when we started going downhill. 20 years of Republican leadership and 12 years of Democrat leadership.

That show started with a great premise and then went down hill quick. It could have been great but the writers were too liberally biased to follow up on the initial concept.

That's right Laz; note how the hollywood left writers avoided the diversity as a problem issue........................

Multiculturalism has been a failure. America use to be great because it was a melting pot, but the 1960s liberalism movement changed that. Now immigrants don't melt, they stake out their turf.................we are paying the price with dumbed down standards and no allegiance to founding principles.

That show started with a great premise and then went down hill quick. It could have been great but the writers were too liberally biased to follow up on the initial concept. Originally Posted by Laz

The only people who think the US is the best country are people who haven't traveled much.

The US used to be a real republic, like Switzerland and Hollad before the US, but that's largely gone.

The US high standard of living is now below many other countries.

American's are so spoiled and apathetic they don't care very much about education or creating anything anymore, so most of the most dedicated graduate students here now in engineering and entrepreurship are immigrants.

The truth is most Americans I know, particularly young people, are comfortable and complacent and have no motivation to make anything of themselves or assist others in finding their dreams or goals.

Most Americans just want to feel good, stay intoxicated, watch sports and ball games, and just be bums.

The only people who think the US is the best country are people who haven't traveled much.

The US used to be a real republic, like Switzerland and Hollad before the US, but that's largely gone.

The US high standard of living is now below many other countries.

American's are so spoiled and apathetic they don't care very much about education or creating anything anymore, so most of the most dedicated graduate students here now in engineering and entrepreurship are immigrants.

The truth is most Americans I know, particularly young people, are comfortable and complacent and have no motivation to make anything of themselves or assist others in finding their dreams or goals.

Most Americans just want to feel good, stay intoxicated, watch sports and ball games, and just be bums. Originally Posted by theaustinescorts

Yep...

The only people who think the US is the best country are people who haven't traveled much.

The US used to be a real republic, like Switzerland and Hollad before the US, but that's largely gone.

The US high standard of living is now below many other countries.

American's are so spoiled and apathetic they don't care very much about education or creating anything anymore, so most of the most dedicated graduate students here now in engineering and entrepreurship are immigrants.

The truth is most Americans I know, particularly young people, are comfortable and complacent and have no motivation to make anything of themselves or assist others in finding their dreams or goals.

Most Americans just want to feel good, stay intoxicated, watch sports and ball games, and just be bums. Originally Posted by theaustinescorts

The rich kids don't have to work the poor ones are drug dealers for the rich kids.It all works out...

I have traveled extensively and I still think America is the greatest country. I wouldn't want to live anyplace else.

And it is baloney to say "most Americans just want to feel good, stay intoxicated, watch sports and ball games, and just be bums.".....

Most Americans want a decent job and a decent future for the next generation.

But a large percentage of Americans are takers and not givers. They want someone else to pay for their goodies.....free healthcare, free phones, free food, free education, free, free, free.....

These Americans are a drain on our economy and our culture. They are useless.

I have traveled extensively and I still think America is the greatest country. I wouldn't want to live anyplace else.

And it is baloney to say "most Americans just want to feel good, stay intoxicated, watch sports and ball games, and just be bums.".....

Most Americans want a decent job and a decent future for the next generation.

But a large percentage of Americans are takers and not givers. They want someone else to pay for their goodies.....free healthcare, free phones, free food, free education, free, free, free.....

These Americans are a drain on our economy and our culture. They are useless. Originally Posted by Whirlaway

It's not that they just want free stuff. There is a rational reason why many feel entitled in that way, and I don't blame them.

The problem is that young people from the wealthy and middle class are reared to feel that they don't have to exert themselves to have what their parents have. They really are spoiled rotten and have no ambition. In the Universities very few of the graduate level students are Americans. Most are immigrants striving and working hard to have what most Americans take for granted.

Another serious problem is that college has become financially unattainable for many, as opposed to when I went to the University of Texas and paid less than $1,000 per semester for everything INCLUDING ROOM AND BOARD.

And without a college degree today working people are left so far behind in their wages that only an idiot would work hard at two jobs and then still not be able to make ends meet.

So they throw in the towell, give up on the whole stupid system, and that's when they start asking for handouts.

and one more thing....

This is the only country in the world where sports is the most important thing in school, and that says a lot about our real priorities.