We’re Number One?

We Americans seem to think it’s really important that people think we’re the best country in the world. But are we, really? At the moment, I’d say we’re more like a guy with a genius level IQ, an acceptance letter to a prestigious university and lots of resources. But instead of attending university, he settles for a dead end job at Pizza Hut, drinks heavily in front of the TV every night, has frequent dumb brushes with the law and flips a coin in the voting booth when he bothers to vote.

Now imagine someone who realizes that guy is wasting his potential sits him down and gives him a good talking to, pointing out that he still has the opportunity to carve out a fantastic life. That’s where we are right now in the US, standing at the crossroads between two paths: one leading to excellence, the other to entrenched and unnecessary mediocrity. Which way would you choose?

• We never talk about goals or destinations; we only talk about changing directions whenever we get bored. When one group or the other says we need higher taxes or lower taxes, peace or conflict, let’s have some sort of objectives and value system decide the answer instead of just deciding based on what we feel like at the moment.

• We let the two major parties distract us, with each making us angry or fearful of the other, when it’s the parties themselves that are our common enemy. Look at the slimy decision the Supreme Court rendered yesterday, with Justices Thomas and Scalia indifferent to the injustice that a lower court nearly sent an innocent man to his death. Look at President Obama supporting the TSA’s contemptible and unconstitutional “security” practices over American civil liberties. Look at Tea Party candidates elected on a small government platform and now obsessing about abortion, where Democrats do the same regarding dumb firearms restrictions.

• We allow the media to keep us in a constant state of irrational panic.

• We don’t make education and a robust infrastructure as much of a priority, compared with keeping up on Dances with the Stars

• We’re arguably a society that excels at obedience but is poor at the intelligent cooperation that is the basis for advanced societies. I see this highlighted when I go up to Canada: the driving is brisk, with vehicles staying to the right except when passing. Here in the US, speed limits are set ridiculously slow and the passing lane clogged with morons in pickup trucks and people having earnest cell phone conversations in SUVs. When there's a cop watching us, we're on our best behavior - otherwise, we act like sullen teenagers.
  

We still have the potential to always be one of the leading countries in the world but if we don’t act on it soon, hungry, determined people from other countries who appreciate opportunity will take our place there.