Of course, America is not yet a complete paradise where everything is perfect, and there are always those who will nitpick the small details and try to blow them out of proportion. So let's address some of those concerns.
Is everyone in America wealthy? Well, a majority of Americans live from paycheck to paycheck, tens of millions don't earn enough to pay for their own food and healthcare, young people are turning into debt serfs due to student loans, people close to retirement have no savings, and the top 0.1% have as much wealth as the bottom 90%. Jeff Bezos made over $100 million a day in 2017, while Amazon warehouse employees work like slaves who (allegedly) built the pyramids. The takeaway from all this: if you work hard and become rich, you never have to worry about such abysmal statistics.
Our government also has ever-increasing debt that will never be paid off. How will it all end? Will we default or impose severe austerity or use inflation to get rid of the debt? If the interest rates go up in the near future, will the stock market and the housing bubble burst again? Some people say that the Federal Reserve Bank has ruined the free market and our entire economy is inherently a Ponzi system that is destined to collapse. I don't understand these crazy claims, but when you live in the greatest country, you can rest assured that intractable problems will somehow be solved. (Maybe you should buy gold or cryptocurrencies, who knows?).
As a nation, we are getting sicker every day. That's a puzzle, indeed. I don't know why 70% of us are now obese or overweight. It wasn't like that at all thirty or forty years ago. Perhaps it's because there is such an abundance of awesome food made from great technology such as GMO and WWII chemical weapons that were turned into pesticides and sprayed on our food. Regardless of the root cause, isn't it wonderful that we have many solutions for weight problems? Stay away from fat ... no, it's the sugar ... no, really, it's the carbs ... or, just go to the gym. But truth be told the really best solution is to just accept yourself, you're beautiful, regardless of your weight or deteriorating health. In the greatest country on earth, if you have the right attitude, facts and reality don't matter - just ask any politician!
Admittedly, the incidence of chronic illnesses among the US population have skyrocketed over the last few decades. Autism, asthma, arthritis, allergies, cancer, diabetes, immune disorders etc. are all at almost epidemic levels It's a little strange that the greatest scientists (in the US of course) can't really figure out why this is happening, and why nobody ever finds cures for these diseases. All we can do is control the symptoms, stay on medications forever and trust science and medicine. But if you live in the greatest country, you can rest assured that Big Pharma is working to make the world a better place for all, I mean, how could they not!?
If you're still in doubt, just consider the fact that US citizens consume 80% of all psychotropic medications and painkillers in the world. You know what that means, right? Americans are free from physical and mental pain, which also makes us the happiest people on earth!
And if you're still worried about skyrocketing healthcare expenses, get a good job and don't be like those 75 million Americans on Medicaid, or the other 40 million with no healthcare coverage at all. There's no excuse in the greatest country ever!
When celebrating the glories of the greatest country in the world, it's always a good idea to take the time to thank our military-industrial complex. We have spent $20 trillion on the military and wars since the end (sort of) of the Cold War in 1991. What a coincidence ... that spending matches our national debt! Anyhow, we wouldn't be the greatest country if we were not constantly eliminating monsters and 'brutal dictators' all over the world. Trust me, we only get rid of Hitlers. Go back and look at all the past media coverage ... everyone was a Hitler. And they all had WMD's and were planning to take over the world. That's why when we killed 500,000 Iraqi children, Madeleine Albright rightly pointed out it was worth it. Freedom isn't free!
In the world's greatest country, we like to drop 25,000 bombs and missiles per year on ultra-poor people in Sudan, Yemen, Somalia etc. Thankfully, we never get to see the pictures of the dead children, and thank god for that! Can you imagine how much that would ruin the patriotic feeling we get when we drop the bombs? Spreading peace and freedom isn't easy though. Sometimes we have no choice but to arm and fund maniacal terrorists because they are assisting us in regime change operations against 'bad men' who are even worse than the maniacal terrorists (like in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Yugoslavia, Libya, Syria etc.), but rest assured that we eventually kill the terrorists too. A happy ending makes everything okay.
The same love and care we bestow on foreign people we also heap on the folks back home. Our government monitors all our phone calls and emails; social media giants like Facebook and Twitter censor ideas and people so that we don't get exposed to wrong ideas (#scary); and while we comprise only 5% of the world population, we have 25% of the world's prisoners. To be the greatest country, you must be the safest country!
But the real key to realizing the greatness of America is to get information from the mainstream media and then carefully repeat the opinions of wise pundits. You don't think that the greatest nation would have liars and propagandists on TV, do you? When the same opinion is voiced by hundreds of experts in all social media platforms and prestigious newspapers, you know you're getting the truth and therefore don't have to think. We get prepackaged truth with easy-to-remember talking points, how cool is that?!
In the end, trust and faith are key to happiness in the greatest country. If you find yourself worrying about any major (or even minor) issues, that just means you're not using all the wonderful tools that the greatest country provides for you - sports, entertainment, social media, movies, TV shows, alcohol, drugs, sex, pornography, consumerism etc.
The bottom line is that I just know that everything is okay because I live in the greatest country. And the really cool thing about it is that America is the greatest country because everything is okay.
Chris Kanthan is the author of three new books, Deconstructing the Syrian war., Geopolitics for Dummies and What the heck happened to the USA. Chris lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, has traveled to 35 countries, and writes about world affairs, politics, economy and health. His other book is Deconstructing Monsanto. Follow him on Twitter: @GMOChannel
Reader Comments
1) The subject which apparently brings you to j'accuse moi, appears to be an overreaction on your part towards OMG who used your phrase, re need to 'self-educate'; - so as to make a point supporting yours and against the same fools which the article is directed towards; and critically, not, (as it seems you read it) directed 'AT' you.
2) Why the F do you ask me questions re the planned/intended/former state of our government, (or even ask such of OMG? - who apparently somehow tweaked/irked your apparent hyper-sensitivity by using your phrase, to amplify- not to contradict it - and which clearly was directed against dumbed down AmeriKants, who have no right to believe the MSM lies when:
a) The facts, far closer to the truth than the MSM will ever say, are nowadays are effectively available to every 'free from prison' person in the West; and,
b) Which such persons have a moral DUTY to seek out.
But as to moi all I stated to OMG's words was 'sad but true', and like his point, mine was ALSO OBVIOUSLY not directed at thou, but at AmeriKant's (willfully under/uninformed) Idiots!
3) I was similarly recently 'j'accused'** by someone who recognized their error before I saw it; but there it was, "'J'accuse R.C."
Per your prior comments I find all this sadly surprising, (and your half-assedly-"qualification' that it's directed 'towards' rather than 'at' me, is disingenuous, at best.
Also, I find your 'comment' to stand surprisingly below your prior posts. (And, I'm am sad and hesitate to say; I can level insults with the best, though I shan't, for, as I've long known, t'is my and my family's nature, like that of Montressor, tol "never suffer 'Fortunato's 'fools"'gladly, nor silently.
I would kindly request that you reconsider what you've written and directed 'AT' moi, despite your last sentence/eleventh hour (quasi) qualification.
Finally, I am confident that should you and me meet and discuss how the US Constitution (1789) came to pass, you'd soon accede that I am not the unaware sort that your 'half-assed' claim implies. (See,e.g., Voltaire, Rousseau, et al.) ... (SOTTites?)
R.C.
*My efforts at Francois are almost certainly incorrect as to both spelling and grammar as I (sadly) only know one language.
** Poe, The Cask of Amontillado.
RC
I was hopeful to simply have a discussion for others to read. many are uncertain (and I still have much to learn) about the different types of government systems. from what I have learned, there are only 4.
Republic.
Democracy.
Oligarchy.
Anarchy.
and btw, my post had nothing to do with anyone else.
a) 1913; or,
b) 1865.
R.C.
are you aware that the "rule of law" in our Republic is in fact.. the Constitution?
or, that our Constitution was passed without the bill of rights?
(it was 3 years before the bill of rights was added)
if you understand our Constitution. what argument can you make that a bill of rights was needed?
(Federalist paper #84)
if one does not understand how a system works, how can one participate?
(my remarks are directed towards you. not at you)
I would trust Dave McGowan's (RIP!) guess far over mine.
Let's mull over that.
R.C.
The revolutionary war was started by the rich who wanted to keep more of it for themselves. The common folk didn't see the benefits of leaving England. In fact, a lot of the men who fought against the British came home to their farms and houses being repossessed by the banks.
What a farce!
the USA has 51 Constitutions, and only 50 States. I will assume that you are referring to the one that does not apply to the people. it applies to the states and the federal government only. if you want to know how it was originally supposed to work. simply read the 10Th amendment.
its design is to stymie the accumulation and concentration of power. and it is still working. witness what just happened as a result of the electoral college. the founders original plan is down, but it is not out of the game yet.
the Federal government has grown too large and powerful. it needs to be put back in its proper place. like the founders intended.
peace.
The revolutionary war was a farce though. Check out the latest season of Adam Ruins everything shore episode called "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Truth"
The rich were the ones who gained from breaking away from the British. The commoners got the same deal...
who do you think these amendments apply to? do they apply to the Constitution itself? no. they don't. who do they restrict? fact is. they do NOT apply to the citizens. can you show me where I am wrong Sir?
you forgot the potato chips, and Taco Bell, and umm fast frankenfood.
Only care about your rights as you exercise them. DO NOT EVER give a shit about how someone else may choose to exercise the same right in a different manner (if it isn't your habits, don't protect them).
This leads to creating a population of easily controlled, ignorant as hell, self righteous sheep that can be led around from pasture to pasture through social divisiveness and then finally to the slaughter when it fits the whims of the shepherds.
Are you outta your frigging mind?
America is not, never was, and never will be the greatest country. Here’s why -
Raw Power and Greatness
Humankind was created in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia ruled the world for 3,000 years
Ethiopia civilized Egypt, then both combined to civilize and rule the world for 6,000 years
‘Egypt’ taught the world everything
Egypt used its light bulb approximately 7,000 years ago
So too its battle tank, helicopter, submarine, blimp, etc.
Oh, you thought it was America
Egypt used spaceships 10,000 years ago
Egypt wrote on papyrus (paper) over 10,000 years. Said papyrus, still existent in museums around the world
Egypt was using rope over 20,000 years ago
‘Egypt’ (actually Ethiopia) built the pyramids approximately 70,000 years ago.
No country has been able to even build a small pyramid. The Japanese tried .. the Egyptians ran them after the nonsense they attempted and failed
The world learned to speak from Egypt. So too mathematics, sciences, music, art, and much much more.
Egypt has technology the world is still attempting to understand. They won’t. The key, it’s called melanin.
All of the above is established historical facts. Read and learn.
Please visit mycvp.com. Read the book – Ethiopia is Atlantis! And learn. This space is too small. I could go for the rest of the week!
Apart from frigging up the world, what has America done?
What makes America great? Its debt in excess of 250 Trillion dollars? The world’s largest?
BTW – it was an American university which showed in 2011 that the world’s most powerful economy is China’s, without having to plunder and steal. Look at what is happening in China. The growth of the country, ....
I humbly suggest you stop eluding yourself.
Learn the history of ‘your great country’.
Maybe you can ask the Indians about the slaughter done on them through the diseases taken to them by the army.
Speak to the people about the My Lai massacre.
The 30 million people slaughtered around the world, from America’s greatness.
The savagery in the Mid-East and North Afruika.
Read the book - Without Sanctuary. Learn about hanging fruits (Afruikans).
Listen, whatever you are smoking, I humbly suggest you leave the damn thing to dry.
Shalom
And I'm happy to have lately* seen some folks typing in, where appropriate, "(sarcasm)"; "(joking)" et al.
R.C.
*And to those who dislike split infinitives . . . aw, nevermind.
RC
It's just not sarcasm that way, though. And the article was so obvious about it.
Body language is overrated imo. People are naturally filled with contradictions. Voice inflection is useful enough, it does tell something about strength or experience, sometimes resentment. Not much about sarcasm, or at least not the best kind.
I guess I am trailing off.
To split -- or to not split -- an infinitive -- that is the question.
fact is. our system is far and away more stable than what either of them have came up with. and just because I like you.. I will share what has made the difference.
[Link]
"Ethiopia is Atlantis!"
"Melanin is the key!".
Let's hear it for fantasy revisionist maximalism. Idiot.
Do not worry, political intriguers and imperial proteans (chameleons), venture capitalists and techno-marvels.
Grand(iose) and pretentious modern citizens of the world, all. Not just and not only, Amerika!
A trail of blood and tears will lead you home.
It was not your blood on the way out (because you took it), but it will be YOUR blood on the way back.
And you will cry real tears.
Many.
Because you will give and return what was not yours to take.
And that is how it will be done.
Have a nice day.
ned, out
Now put yourself in a SOTT Administrator's place. Some scum roboscam (it seems to me that such have little to do with anyone making a sale so much as dIstracting the masses - who so happily swallow commercials on TV - from messages and, more particularly, certain sites, like SOTT, that the PTB desire not be heard from.
That poor administrator might have 40? articles these things show up in and likely has a choice to review every article's comments and try only to delete those that are scam oriented, OR, can use their time better to choose which articles merit SOTT's attention.
So, if SOTT were me, I'd look for key phrases, and search them all, and if the Admin. hopes to have a productive day, delete the whole lot. I'd say the first to go would be those that are Comments on the scam spam posts. And I'd put money that the F word (which, amongst SOTTites, such scum bring to the fore, has little if any to do with it.)
Niall? Joe?
R.C.
spam is my girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...unless of course I'm visiting American Samoa, then she's community property
the internet has changed all that.
the USA was founded on the twin concepts of individual Liberty and natural or God given rights. an individuals "rights" do not come from the Government. you were born with them.
Liberty is not a synonym for freedom. things are getting better. Americans are starting to self-educate.