It appears that man is at his wits end. For centuries society has thrived off of man's inventions from the the invention of the wheel to spaceships that can fly to the moon (and back). Yet man's genius at changing things and inventing things that that can help the people live a more efficient and better life seem to have reach a ceiling.Let's be honest for once.
Let's be honest. Our nation (leader of the free world) is on the threshold of becoming a failed state. However their might be a loophole in the meaning.
According to Wikepedia, it reveals that: The level of government control required to avoid being considered a failed state state varies considerably amongst authorities. Furthermore, the declaration that a state has "failed" is generally controversial and, when made authoritatively, may carry significant geopolitical consequences.
But let's be even more honest no other nation seems to have the guts to call America a failed state - maybe because of the fear of being attacked, or expecting that the consequences will include a monetizing warfare - we are [the] superpower; our petro-dollars control the world's financial system; we have the largest and the most expensive military; our technology is the best - whatever the reason of non-designation, this article will go against the grain.
Yet, lost in the blogospere is the fact that without healthy discussion and relevant action our home is dealing with inevitable and negative consequences - either further erosion or surely something catastrophic that causes irreversible destruction. Hence, if people love America the way that we say that we do the 'ceiling for change' must be expanded without tarry.
A nation that has had over three hundred years to evolve into the sphere where it is able to exhibit the inexorable values that the majority espouse to, has had an awful long time to break cycles of dismay that are repeated over and over again for over 200 plus years.
As reported by Newsweek, America ranks the worst in healthcare amongst the highest income nations.
One half of all income is earned by households making over $200,000. About One quarter is of all income is assigned to he top 8%, the rest are fighting over leftovers.
After 300 years, racism still raises its ugly head institutionally and systemically, and the disproportionate murdering and imprisoning of of black men continue. The income gap between whites and blacks has been consistently large in post-slavery life (That's over 200 years). Another instance was reported by Pacific Standard's article in 2017 "Black-White Age Wage Gap Grows as Americans Remain in Denial".
The richest country in the world is ironically running on fumes, literally, and it can be opined that 'perpetual wars' keep us in a funk - this as our country's infrastructure crumbles. Building a wall trump'sand not taking care of our highways and utilities (and senor citizens, veterans, children, etc.) is ludicrous. (See the article from Cato Institute "Why the Wall Won't Work").
We use - collective projection on other less fortunate (Or labelled as) countries to deflect from our real statuses, and conditions - Venezuela, Iran, Russia, North Korea, African Nations, Libya, etc. Even with the so called found n Humanitarian Interventions (Real humanitarian Intervention is sometimes needed) the quid pro quo is often being able to interfere any the governance of sovereign nations - that is - if the nation not destroyed n the process.
Our unemployment rate is 4.1%, but it's really over 8%. This fictitious reporting has been a constant ignoring all of the intangibles (underemployed, discouraged from looking, etc) that are closest to the real truth. One shoe doesn't fit all in America - never has. In January the black unemployment rate was listed at 6.8% and Hispanics at 5.9%, and the irregularities still must be computed. Yet the elephant in the room is that generally people can't survive off of low wages - employed or not.
We imprison more people than any other nation in the world however: Whites represent 64% of the U.S. population with an incarceration rate of 1450 per 100,00; respectively, Blacks make up 13% of the U.S. population and are incarcerated at a rate of 2306 per 100,00; and Hispanics 831 per 100,000. This inequity merges into the core of many factors represented in systemic racism. Our 'One nation under God' country has the highest prison rate in the world 7424 per 100,00. We will not mention our meddling in other people affairs through rendition.
As leader of the free-world we find ourselves defending for those who are breaching human Rights through schemes like, killing, apartheid, imprisoning, and general repression (and oppression). 'By any means necessary, we need to be in control.
We find ourselves reneging on some of the most constitutional endorsed rights like immigration, abortion, privacy, etc. and wherein those in power selectively choose what they prefer to follow, like freedom to bare arms;
Things like nuclear and climate change can destroy the world, but we (under the delusion of America-First moniker) are "exceptionally" indifferent. On the former, whether then finding ways to eliminate nuclear weapons, we are creating more, and accusing others of having 'weapons of mass destruction,' seemingly as a deflection.
To extend on the above list should not be hard to do. But some more questions that arise here with urgency are: How did we get away with it for so long? How have we been able to maintain this illusion for such a long time? And, why is accountability finally at the doorstep?
When we are unable to break through the ceilings that will make the world a better place to live with reactionary responses; or simply no response, t may can be presupposed that it is fueled by desperation that calls for by any means necessary whether stealing, lying and cheating - hence, our standards of local and global human interaction are fast becoming absolute anarchy - one need not look any further than the world body called the United Nations where we run roughshod over other nations by either refusing everything (without two-way discussion) that we don't like, or simply breaking the rules, at will.
We have had the opportunity to put a stop to the things that are alien to our democratic narrative - living in a land of the "brave and free," yet we've historically squandered crucial opportunities at strategic times which repeatedly brings us to repeatedly having to inevitably go back over things that we should have fixed a hundreds of years ago. No, man is not perfect, but God this us talent to fix things withoin our physical abode.
Living in denial is a miserable space to be in - yet, I'm sorry, but things just don't disappear - the problems continue to compounded.
Let's take a further look by reiterating some things that shouldn't be happening after 300 years of existence as they affect the quality of life and bind the Nation in in a stalemate that can last forever if the ceiling not broken.
At-Risk for Nuclear Annihilation. Whether then decreasing our warehousing of weapons of destruction, we are increasing them. Does they sound lie a nation that is not stuck?
Institutional Racism and Discrimination. In a sad way, after over 300 years of abominable behavior, the lineage of settlers never meant to change the system that gives them privilege and the upperhand. And, America should b thankful for our great public relations juggernauts (including the media) who continue to make things seem different than what they really are. The 'post-racial' jargon has to be the the most vicious joke during 300 years of cycles where the ceiling hasn't been broken. Dr. ing and the civil rights heroins gave it a good try (wouldn't you say) but all we have is a mounment on the Mall in DC that symbolizes that we have passed that way over a million times, and the legend of demonic racism still floursh after 300 years.
Social Welfare Under Attacked. Of course the great debate is whether or not not the welfare of the masses should be turned over to Wall Street (In a sense, it already has). This is the most ominous sign of (profit over welfare for the people). Something has to give.
Killing of Black Men by supposedProtectors. Of course, after 300 years institutional white racism has rediscovered "hanging fruit". Lynching will never stop - society seems to have hit the ceiling for exorcising this demon - killing black people. For 2018, already 289 people have been killed by police officers - and counting. Total for 2017 was 989 (Washington Post Police Database, April 5, 2018). The most alarming part is that over 20% was black men (2017 and the percentage remains consistent in 2018 wheras blacks make-up only 12.3 % of the American population. This is significant for several reasons: America has a history of either enslaving; torturng; and killing black people.
Man has not been able to change this grave occurrence over several centuries. Second, Black activist groups, like Black Lives Matter are really having to repeat the same portests that took place over the course of centuries. These is a despicabe precedence that should be stopped, but man seems to be at his wits end after years of either trying or not knowing how to fix the problem. This may be the last era where clever people can show their stuff.
Global Warhawking and Colonializaton. In the 21st century when American bolsters a the 'exceptional' meme for all the world to see, ii fails to list both the bad and the good that its democracy has wrought. America leads the world by determining who deserves to to be attacked (next) and destroyed under he shroud of Humanitarian Intervention.
While most of the colonials nations proclaim an end to the nefarious practice after centuries of casting people into darkness, American seems to be a modern day colonizer and has been succesful in elbowing their by using their superpower position - persuadng other post-colonials to return to the days of old. It would be unfair to label only America as a hegemon that is seeking to dominate others, but we are the exceptional one.
Yet, man's whole world is guilty of allowing this cypto-version of colonialism to resurface with a vengeance. Once again, nothing has changed.
In summary we are one of the greatest enterprising nations (if not the greatest) for at least a century. I would concur that we can consider ourselves as "exceptional", but let's be clear as a nation we've mightily strayed from the path that God has given us to go down. Our real compassion and respect have not been cultivated to the point where we can be that 'light on the hill'.
We have become a raging bull in the midst of a world that needs us to show the way. We have failed (and are failing) the world. Our children are even being scorned as they search for the light for new hope. This status is not tenable. Something has to give - and the hour is getting late. We must will ourselves to break through the ceilings in order to extract ourselves from our present death-hold. Denial doesn't work anymore.
Sources:
Psmag.com (Black and White Wage Gap Grows as Americans Reman in Denial)
Cato.Org (Why the Wall Won' Work)
PsychicElements.com (Collective Shadow Prrojection)
NPR.org
(FACT CHECK: Trump Touts Low Unemployment Rates For African-Americans, Hispanics)