I suppose that some of you wonder why I bug some of you to go and change things that you don't like about your government. I came across this today and felt like I'd just been on the wrong end of a sucker punch....
No, it's not pleasant reading.
America by the numbers
No. 1?
by Michael Ventura
February 23, 2005
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'" (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, p.78).
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" (The European Dream, p.70).
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. (That's six times the number of people killed on 9/11.) (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" (The European Dream, p.66). "In a recent survey of the world's 50 best companies, conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European" (The European Dream, p.69).
"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 European Dream, p.68).
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. (That's why we talk nice to them.) "By helping keep mortgage rates from rising, China has come to play an enormous and little-noticed role in sustaining the American housing boom" (NYT, Dec. 4, 2004). Read that twice. We owe our housing boom to China, because they want us to keep buying all that stuff they manufacture.
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).
Bush: 62,027,582 votes. Kerry: 59,026,003 votes. Number of eligible voters who didn't show up: 79,279,000 (NYT, Dec. 26, 2004). That's more than a third. Way more. If more than a third of Iraqis don't show for their election, no country in the world will think that election legitimate.
One-third of all U.S. children are born out of wedlock. One-half of all U.S. children will live in a one-parent house (CNN, Dec. 10, 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 International Association of Chiefs of Police said that cuts by the [Bush] administration in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever" (USA Today, Nov. 17, 2004).
No. 1? In most important categories we're not even in the Top 10 anymore. Not even close.
The USA is "No. 1" in nothing but weaponry, consumer spending, debt, and delusion.
Yup, I dont know why people thing that US is this wonderful, great country. I think this country just has a Nepoleon Complex really.... Talkin Big, putting on a facade that we are great and mighty (and apparetnly above the laws and ways of the UN too).
I honestly do have fairly little respect for this country. I have been many places, have friends all over the world and, if it was feasable, i honestly would move to Canada, Australia or New Zealand in a second. The dollar might look 'weak' compared to the US, but with all that you get... it would be well worth it. Plus, the US dollar is an a swan dive anyways... wont be long until we are the 'weak' currancy of the world.
____________________ Its all fun and games until someone gets poked in the eye with a dick
I love the responses that you'll get from the disbelievers of this...
If you don't like, move. Now there is some sound reasoning isn't it. I mean, what's the point in having a free country if you aren't free to disagree with it being driven into the ground. And I hate to burst too many bubbles, but the global financial situation isn't any prettier, the US is on the steeper downturn, but if you think that the EU is having any better economic growth you'd be sadly mistaken. I know I've said this before, and it seems silly, but the only safe haven for anyone that is saving for later in life, is gold. It's the only thing that doesn't waiver in the face of a currency crisis, and believe me when I say, the US is on the cusp of what could be the largest currency crisis to ever hit the global economy. In particular think about this, as interest rates rise, and the government has to print more money to pay the interest debt that accrues on that whoppin' $8 trillion national debt, inflation will rise, the dollar will drop, the side effect of that will be that US goods are cheaper than the goods of foreign goods, and the trade pressure will begin to shift in the other directions, and what little growth the EU and China see from the fact that they have a significant trade surplus will dry up, and their economies will also begin to feel severe pressure, resulting in what could be a major currency devaluation... globally. What does that mean to you? You've got $100 in the bank today, in no more than 10 years it'll be worth $10.
Well, I'm taking these so called studies published with a grain of salt - especially the workers etc. in our country.
Did they publisher which nationality and if they were original or legal citizens who were working and answering these questions or contributed to these statistics?
Not to be racial or bigoted or defensive in any way - I'm not stupid, I know we talk a lot of smack, but think of it. Where else can you come in, get an education paid for on the taxpayer's back through college or businesses and not be a legal citizen born and raised? I can't think of any, but hey...I've only been to Canada and the UK outside of the US.
I personally couldn't live in the UK because - too much rain, super crowded highways, just too small all the way around...croweded cities and semi-detatched housing. Canada, no offense, but man, you don't have many temperate climates up there.
I can say that with what we have here in the states we could do better with our medical care as well as our education, but hey - we've got a president and cabinet that looooves to spend money on the military instead.
So, I'll sit down and I do vote and I make my opinions known to those that can't see through the political smoke screens of partisonship. I'm not a lemming.
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
Chelly03PZEV wrote: Canada, no offense, but man, you don't have many temperate climates up there. I agree. I think Canada needs to "conquer" a Carribean or Mediterranean country.
____________________ If you can't read this, you're illiterate.
Mr. Versatile wrote: Chelly03PZEV wrote: Canada, no offense, but man, you don't have many temperate climates up there. I agree. I think Canada needs to "conquer" a Carribean or Mediterranean country.
Conquering is not part of our culture. There are a lot of us in Cuba right now though. Buddy of mine just sent me an email to let me know that he was having to suffer through a low temperature of 77F last night
It's -11 here right now, not too bad.
Chelly: The source site is linked so you can check the original for veracity.
Last edited on Wed Mar 16th, 2005 05:32 pm by Codger
____________________
A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams...John Barrymore
Yeah, I've been to Mexico, so many parts are very very poor.
What gets to me is, ok this, I see all these commercials about help the kids in this country and this one , help the poverty Over there. But what about our poor people here? Where can we actually donate and KNOW the money will get to them here and help them?
If off topic, sorry.
But yeah, a lot of truth there, but hey , I think ALL places have their faults, nothing is perfect. Nowhere is ever perfect.
Awesome post. Someday.....someday Americans will awaken from their ignorant slumber. Whether they be in a Conservative religious haze, or a Liberal drug-induced haze, someday....maybe someday.
Being an Independent is true bliss. I look around, and both "sides" make me sick.
All that nonsense don't matter. Everything will even out eventually. One century one country's on top, the next century its another. And I wonder where they get all that info from. If they include immigrants then that is gonna have an effect on every overall score cause its the educated and wealthy foreigners that are gonna be content in their own countries and the uneducated and needy are gonna come over here for a better life. Happiness is what makes life worthwhile. Not education or wealth or any of the socialist things that survey graded us on.
The biggest problem in this world is overpopulation. Its what makes every other problem worse. All of them. Get rid of people and problems subside. It ain't realistic but I like the idea of sterilizing a generation. So screw their idea of number 1 or 2 or whatever. Screw anything like that crap cause its a big pile of poop. Poop that says poverty is a valid state, literacy actually matters, and that its the most important thing in the world that someone lives past 70. Quality of life depends on none of that, and if there were less people then the stressful competition that is necessary with huge populations would lessen, and with it would go the misery that those stresses cause.
I never knew all those facts, some are very alarming and others are about where I expected it.
Two Very Big problems I have with America is our lack of decently-educated children and healthy ones. It's downright embarassing to be a relatively "rich" nation (if you ignore our stupifying nat'l debt, we have many people extrememly well off by Any standard) and not offer healthcare, at least to our children. And to have programs like NCLB and underfund it, then charge the schools that can't make the requirements. What moron thought that up, that inner city schools (who tend to have poor ratings) need to spend money they don't have to the govt because their students aren't performing as well as they could.
If American kids don't stop being so ignorant we'll never get out of these depressing facts. Corny or not, those kids are our future and right now I'm f'n scared. I'm not old either, hell the kids in elem. school are still considered my "generation" I believe, but I feel there's a difference. Also I was lucky enough to be in a decent school district and move into private when I got to middle school because that part was subpar. But my parents also had enough money that they could spend time with me and teach me to want to learn and do great things, they didn't have to work 2 jobs and fight for everything we had. But a lot of the poorer sections of my state, region, etc, don't have the same luxury. No wonder the kids don't score well if they're taking care of their younger sibs or their parents aren't big readers, or whatever. It's a terrible cycle, and even though you CAN be happy without a "fancy" education, it's getting harder because I don't believe you can be Really happy if you're constantly stressing over having enough money to feed your kids, get them clothes and school supplies and food, pay the rent, all that stuff. You don't need money to be happy, but if you have some, just enough to be a few steps ahead, then you have Time to be happy and pursue interests outside of work and all that.
Anyway I went totally off topic but I do think America needs to wake up. I'm sure some of these factoids are biased, but every study is, it's the nature of the beast. I don't doubt for a second though that there's aspects of truth in those stats though. My roommate teaches 6th graders (are they 12?) here in Worcester, in one of the poorest schools in the district, but they couldn't find Mass. on a map and thought Boston was the capitol of NY. That boggled my mind, I'm a crappy geography student, but even I woulda known that stuff 10 years ago. It's scary because how do you teach the kids if they don't grasp basic things? ahhh..
