Politicians Claim: “America is the Greatest Country in the World,” But the People Say ‘Bullshit’
Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart
Let’s take an honest look at America in the 21st
century. Where do you think our nation stands on issues which are most
important, and where do you think one-half of our dysfunctional government
stands? This rating includes 15 nations included in an overall rating of
quality of life. Here’s a clue; the United States does not rate first in any
category. Inf fact, we are last in the group at number 15.
However, in the free world America is ranked 23rd
in healthcare. Only wealthy Americans receive the finest care because only the
wealthy can afford the most expensive medical services and personnel available.
Even for working class men and women who have healthcare plans at their place
of employment, co-pays create hardships for millions of our nation’s people. Our
failed healthcare system has become the most expensive and inefficient in the
world. I, personally, had two friends die in a hospital after being
misdiagnosed. America is the only nation in the world without universal
healthcare for all.
Women’s rights are a critical issue. Although America’s
women outnumber men, more women are registered to vote than men, and more women
are enrolled in our colleges and universities than men, women’s rights in our
country rank 46th out of 146 nations.
The United States is nowhere in the top ten ratings related
to income equality. One-half of all Americans live in the low-income and
poverty level. Fewer than 10 percent of Americans control more than 90 percent
of the wealth. The “American Dream” is available for about five percent of all
our nation’s people.
The most important guarantee in the First Amendment is the
right to vote. However in “red” states, legislatures continue to suppress the
rights of minorities and low-income Americans in an effort to lower the turnout
and increase opportunities for right-wing politicians to win elections.
It is fair to say that the United States of America was
founded on freedom of religion. Our Founding Fathers made their decision to
leave England after King George III declared that the Anglican Church was the
British Empire’s one, true religion. Over the last 42 years many Washington
politicians, including four Republican presidents, have attempted to make
America a “Christian’s only nation.”
America’s greatest problem has always been and continues to
be an atmosphere of pervasive racism. Our country ranks below the top ten
nations in support for minorities. Hate crimes in the United States have
increased by 800 percent since Trump was nominated in 2016, according to the
Southern Poverty Law Center. The number of mass shootings, mostly based on
support for or against “hot button” issues, outnumber days on the calendar. FBI
Director Christopher Wray declared that “domestic terrorism is the greatest
threat to the American people.”
It is a fact that our military, law enforcement, judicial
system, and one political party are composed of large numbers of racists and
bigots. Members of our military and law enforcement, current and past,
participated in the January 6, 2021 attempted coup.
America is a “hot mess.” We are more divided than during the
first Civil War because our population is much larger, and both the mainstream
and social media misinformation and conspiracy theories faster than the truth
can reach a newspaper.
Ignorance infiltrates the human mind in three ways: lack of
facts, choice, or brainwashing by outside sources. I claim that America is the most
ignorant nation in the world. We have become the least informed and obese
nation in the world because we are lazy. Most Americans claim to be busy, too
busy to cook our own meals, care for our own families, and become informed
about the actions of our failed government. It is our fault that the nation of
our Founding Fathers is in decline and will soon be extinct. Corrupt and
self-serving politicians have lied to us constantly. Hitler had a premise that
if the people are lied to often enough, they will begin to believe those lies.
Americans are fools and fodder for those who would use them as puppets to
achieve their personal goals.
I no longer believe that every American has the right to
vote or that anyone can run for political office. Stupidity and chosen
ignorance are dangerous and can become
destructive. In America, anyone can buy any type of gun, even if they have been
diagnosed with mental illness. In America, anyone can vote even if they have been
brainwashed.
Our country is dying and no one in power cares.
Op-ed by James Turnage
Find my nine novels on Amazon’s Kindle
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