The Force is With Me
America No.1? In what? A look in the mirror
Food for thought .. reason to seek change?
America by the numbers, No. 1?
by Michael Ventura
No concept lies more firmly embedded in our national character than the notion that the USA is "No. 1," "the greatest." Our broadcast media are, in essence, continuous advertisements for the brand name "America Is No. 1." Any office seeker saying otherwise would be committing political suicide. In fact, anyone saying otherwise will be labeled "un-American." We're an "empire," ain't we? Sure we are. An empire without a manufacturing base. An empire that must borrow $2 billion a day from its competitors in order to function. Yet the delusion is ineradicable. We're No. 1. Well...this is the country you really live in:
. The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).
. The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
. Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).
. "The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries'"
. Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere!
. "The European Union leads the U.S. in...the number of science and engineering graduates; public research and development (R&D) expenditures; and new capital raised" (The European Dream, p.70).
. "Europe surpassed the United States in the mid-1990s as the largest producer of scientific literature". Nevertheless, Congress cut funds to the National Science Foundation. The agency will issue 1,000 fewer research grants this year (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004).
. Foreign applications to U.S. grad schools declined 28 percent last year. Foreign student enrollment on all levels fell for the first time in three decades, but increased greatly in Europe and China. Last year Chinese grad-school graduates in the U.S. dropped 56 percent, Indians 51 percent, South Koreans 28 percent (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004). We're not the place to be anymore.
. The World Health Organization "ranked the countries of the world in terms of overall health performance, and the U.S. [was]...37th." In the fairness of health care, we're 54th. "The irony is that the United States spends more per capita for health care than any other nation in the world" (The European Dream, pp.79-80). Pay more, get lots, lots less.
. "The U.S. and South Africa are the only two developed countries in the world that do not provide health care for all their citizens" (The European Dream, p.80). Excuse me, but since when is South Africa a "developed" country? Anyway, that's the company we're keeping.
. Lack of health insurance coverage causes 18,000 unnecessary American deaths a year. (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005.)
. "U.S. childhood poverty now ranks 22nd, or second to last, among the developed nations. Only Mexico scores lower" (The European Dream, p.81). Been to Mexico lately? Does it look "developed" to you? Yet it's the only "developed" country to score lower in childhood poverty.
. Twelve million American families--more than 10 percent of all U.S. households--"continue to struggle, and not always successfully, to feed themselves." Families that "had members who actually went hungry at some point last year" numbered 3.9 million (NYT, Nov. 22, 2004).
. The United States is 41st in the world in infant mortality. Cuba scores higher (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).
. Women are 70 percent more likely to die in childbirth in America than in Europe (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).
. The leading cause of death of pregnant women in this country is murder (CNN, Dec. 14, 2004).
. "Of the 20 most developed countries in the world, the U.S. was dead last in the growth rate of total compensation to its workforce in the 1980s.... In the 1990s, the U.S. average compensation growth rate grew only slightly, at an annual rate of about 0.1 percent" (The European Dream, p.39). Yet Americans work longer hours per year than any other industrialized country, and get less vacation time.
. Sixty-one of the 140 biggest companies on the Global Fortune 500 rankings are European, while only 50 are U.S. companies. In a recent survey of the world's 50 best companies, conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European.
. Fourteen of the 20 largest commercial banks in the world today are European.... In the chemical industry, the European company BASF is the world's leader, and three of the top six players are European. In engineering and construction, three of the top five companies are European.... The two others are Japanese. Not a single American engineering and construction company is included among the world's top nine competitors. In food and consumer products, Nestlé and Unilever, two European giants, rank first and second, respectively, in the world. In the food and drugstore retail trade, two European companies...are first and second, and European companies make up five of the top ten. Only four U.S. companies are on the list.
. The United States has lost 1.3 million jobs to China in the last decade (CNN, Jan. 12, 2005).
. U.S. employers eliminated 1 million jobs in 2004 (The Week, Jan. 14, 2005).
Three million six hundred thousand Americans ran out of unemployment insurance last year; 1.8 million--one in five--unemployed workers are jobless for more than six months (NYT, Jan. 9, 2005).
. Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea hold 40 percent of our government debt.
. Sometime in the next 10 years Brazil will probably pass the U.S. as the world's largest agricultural producer. Brazil is now the world's largest exporter of chickens, orange juice, sugar, coffee, and tobacco. Last year, Brazil passed the U.S. as the world's largest beef producer. (Hear that, you poor deluded cowboys?) As a result, while we bear record trade deficits, Brazil boasts a $30 billion trade surplus (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
. As of last June, the U.S. imported more food than it exported (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
. "Americans are now spending more money on gambling than on movies, videos, DVDs, music, and books combined" (The European Dream, p.28).
. "Nearly one out of four Americans [believe] that using violence to get what they want is acceptable" (The European Dream, p.32).
. Forty-three percent of Americans think torture is sometimes justified, according to a PEW Poll (Associated Press, Aug. 19, 2004).
. "Nearly 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2002, the last year for which such data are available" (USA Today, Dec. 21, 2004).
The USA is "No. 1" in nothing but weaponry, consumer spending, debt, and delusion.
http://www.citypages.com/databank/26...ticle12985.asp
That's the good news .. the bad news is that it's gotten worse.
AMERICAN HISTORY ITSELF IS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. WE, ALONG WITH THE COURGE AND SACRIFICES OF CONSCIOUS WHITE AMERICANS, LIKE VIOLA LIUZZO, EVERETT DIRKSEN, AND MANY OTHERS, HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TOGETHER FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR OUR SURVIVAL.
In America, rights are are not determined by what is just, fair, equitable, honest, nor by what Jesus would do. Rights are determined ONLY by what you can DEMAND.
Banned
Great piece. I have often marveled over the need Americans have to believe that “we’re number one”. I don’t understand it. It’s as if just by saying something, you make it so. If Americans would start looking at all the things we are far from number one in or at, we might be able to make some improvements. But you can’t sober until you admit you’re not.
The Almighty
"The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).
. The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).
. Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).
. "The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries'"
. Our workers are so ignorant and lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere! "
Public Education at its finest.
The one about "those with less than 9 years education" cracks me up. Nothing like looking at junior high dropouts....
Quote from Cypress:
"Scientists don't use "averages". Maybe armchair supertools on message boards ascribe some meaning to "averages" between two random data points. And maybe clueless amatuers "draw a straight line" through two random end data points to define a "trend". Experts don't.
They use mean annual and five year means in trend analysis. Don't tell me I have to explain the difference to you. "
The Force is With Me
Simplistic excuses serve the interests of the puppetmasters.Originally Posted by Superfreak
Those countries that are ahead of us in education .. their kids go to public schools.
One of the reasons we lag is because we're so in love with simplistic excuses.
AMERICAN HISTORY ITSELF IS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. WE, ALONG WITH THE COURGE AND SACRIFICES OF CONSCIOUS WHITE AMERICANS, LIKE VIOLA LIUZZO, EVERETT DIRKSEN, AND MANY OTHERS, HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TOGETHER FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR OUR SURVIVAL.
In America, rights are are not determined by what is just, fair, equitable, honest, nor by what Jesus would do. Rights are determined ONLY by what you can DEMAND.
Villified User
Well Darla, it does seem that if we say something enough it makes it so.
We are all about perception not reality. We have a great propaganda industry.
The Almighty
"In a recent survey of the world's 50 best companies, conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European."
I would love to see this list. Especially if that list gave the criteria for rankings. While I do not doubt a good presence from European companies... 49 out of 50 seems a bit of a stretch.
Quote from Cypress:
"Scientists don't use "averages". Maybe armchair supertools on message boards ascribe some meaning to "averages" between two random data points. And maybe clueless amatuers "draw a straight line" through two random end data points to define a "trend". Experts don't.
They use mean annual and five year means in trend analysis. Don't tell me I have to explain the difference to you. "
Verified User
This is the biggest area of improvement for my newly adopted party, for the moveon.moron group to stop hating on America.
Can we improve, yes and we always do.
1. What other country has people dying to get a chance just to live their.
2. We have by FAR the richies country in the world. You have to add up a bunch after 2 to get to our wealth.
3. It's our CORPORATIONS THAT MAKE US GREAT.
4. WE normally have the most freedoms of any country, Obama will fix that.
5. Blackass is an IT dork that doesn't like sports, think Steve Irkle.
Villified User
Europeans seem to get a lot of vacation and short work weeks. Over here we make em salaried and work their butts off.
The Force is With Me
It works as long as you can stay away from mirrors .. or as long as no one looks at you.
AMERICAN HISTORY ITSELF IS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. WE, ALONG WITH THE COURGE AND SACRIFICES OF CONSCIOUS WHITE AMERICANS, LIKE VIOLA LIUZZO, EVERETT DIRKSEN, AND MANY OTHERS, HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TOGETHER FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR OUR SURVIVAL.
In America, rights are are not determined by what is just, fair, equitable, honest, nor by what Jesus would do. Rights are determined ONLY by what you can DEMAND.
Verified User
Europeans make our trailer trash look rich, no offense usged.
The Almighty
No, their going to THEIR public schools has nothing to do with OUR public schools sucking. They are pathetic and eternally behind their public school counterparts. In the EU and Japan etc... they teach multiple languages, they push each student and do not teach to the lowest common denominator, they push hard so that every student understands mathematics and science.
They do not graduate idiots that think the earth revolves around the sun.
Quote from Cypress:
"Scientists don't use "averages". Maybe armchair supertools on message boards ascribe some meaning to "averages" between two random data points. And maybe clueless amatuers "draw a straight line" through two random end data points to define a "trend". Experts don't.
They use mean annual and five year means in trend analysis. Don't tell me I have to explain the difference to you. "
High Level of Addiction
Love it or leave it!
Man, when you really think about that statement, it's freaky.
It's become way too common for ethnocentric buffoons to accuse people who merely want to improve things & hold the country to a higher standard of "hating America."
Insane Level of Addiction
A stretch? It's just flat out crap. I tried googe to look for this "survey" but didn't see it.
Villified User
Google is the gospel. yet another reason why we suck.
The Force is With Me
Au contraire, mon ami ..
I love sports .. especially now that the best get to play .. reagrdless of race.
What you talkin' 'bout Willis?
"Corporations make us great" .. straight stupid ... Willis.
AMERICAN HISTORY ITSELF IS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. WE, ALONG WITH THE COURGE AND SACRIFICES OF CONSCIOUS WHITE AMERICANS, LIKE VIOLA LIUZZO, EVERETT DIRKSEN, AND MANY OTHERS, HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED TOGETHER FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR OUR SURVIVAL.
In America, rights are are not determined by what is just, fair, equitable, honest, nor by what Jesus would do. Rights are determined ONLY by what you can DEMAND.
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