America still has the most powerful economy in the world, but these are among the many signs of weakening. Global competition is intensifying, particularly in China, which is making energetic moves to lead in high speed rail, clean energy technology, the control of rare earth metals necessary for defense, and the number of international patents filed.
Part of the problem can be traced to the frenzied financial speculation that changed Wall Street from a place where capital had been mobilized for real economic projects into a sprawling casino of empty bets. This orgy of falsity and greed destroyed trillions of dollars in global value, plunging tens of millions of people into misery.
In the process we lost track of the fundamental idea of investment, which is the setting aside of current forms of wealth to create greater prosperity in the future. A correctly functioning economy would contribute to things that make our nation stronger: jobs, energy, infrastructure, education, and health care. Instead of the endlessly stale conversation about spending, we need a sober conversation about how to use our current national resources to create a stronger nation within a safer, just, and more prosperous world.
Part of the problem is the nature of our politics, where elected officials seek momentary advantage by opposing steps that are in the best long-term interest of the country.
Equally important, however, is the question of the American spirit. Can we rediscover the essential optimism and creativity that has characterized American life from the beginning?
We may be tempted to say that today’s circumstances are so tough that they represent an insurmountable challenge for our people, our institutions, and our government. Anyone who feels this way lacks awareness of American history. The United States has survived profound national crises, wrenching divisions, and the blistering effects of economic depression and war.
Indeed, there have been many times when tensions in America became so great that it was not clear whether the country would survive. Yet each time we were able to reach inside ourselves and find the capacity for renewal — as individuals, as communities, and as a republic.
In this new year, we must not yield to the temptation of despair. Yes, the problems we are facing are difficult. But they are not beyond our capacity to address them. The first step must not be delusion, but determined will. As Edward Kennedy said,
America has a choice. We can continue to be buffeted by the harsh winds of the global economy. Or we can think anew, and guide the currents of globalization with a progressive vision that strengthens the nation and prepare our people to move confidently towards the future.
To establish our direction, we must be able to imagine our destination. A decision to reaffirm a national spirit of courage and creativity would be the best resolution we could make for the year ahead.
So long as many Americans immerse themselves in a world of sports where America is always (NFL) of often (basketball) number one, they may not realize how poorly we measure up in so many more critical areas.
solipsistic perspective, viewing the world entirely through a lens that is trained back on ourselves. We are, by nature, a nation largely uninterested in how we stack up against other industrialized western nations because we simply assume that we are the best in virtually everything. We’ve been taught “American exceptionalism” from an early age. We are encouraged to accept America’s primacy in the world as prima facie fact and that to question that primacy is unpatriotic.
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p>There are plenty of better places to live in the world, but that notion is heresy to many Americans who would rather suffer under social, economic, and political stresses than seriously entertain the possibility of moving to another country. Too bad, really. Means aside, I suspect a lot of bright, competitive, and promising people lead lives of quiet desperation dull frustration here unnecessarily because they simply can’t wrap their heads around living elsewhere.
a lot of those wonderful ‘elsewheres’ aren’t so easy to move into and gain permanent residence.
but then again, the U.S. is not an easy place to move to and thousands with much less to work with find a way to immigrate every year–successfully. I think your statement–while true–reveals something else about Americans and their nature.
All that you say is believable to me… but can you provide citations? For example, what is the “key measurement of innovation and competitiveness” that we come in 6th place in?
but in total, it is revered for its simplicity and complexity. I feel the same way about America. I’ve read many “lists” where countries are rated #1-#x and the US comes in >1… so what. How many times have you watched the Miss America contest and agreed with the final pick? In both cases, you really need to know “how” they do the score.
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p>It could be that while we rate 9th, 29th or 109th in a certain category, the reality is we actually have a wide selection of quality of that particular category across our population, but enough in some slices to cause us to be ranked low. In other words, we may not suffer homogeneously. We may rank 40th in infant mortality, but then find out it’s due to drug usage, lack of following prenatal advice (as opposed to not getting prenatal advice), mothers smoking and a variety of other conditions which go along with our “freedoms”. So maybe upper income and even middle income Americans would score very well wrt infant mortality, but lower income families suffer at higher rates. The result being schmucks like me hearing how badly our infant mortality rate is and dismissing the rating since “most people I know” have healthy babies who survive. I’m not saying these “ranking” are not legitimate issues, but I am saying you need to really look at the data to determine what the problem is (example – 40th infant mortality does not necessarily mean our medical care system sucks…).
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p>Just a thought…
From the Armageddon News expert.
http://www.docudharma.com/diar…