“What Makes America the Greatest Country in One Sentence or Less”
So... If you have ever watched the Newsroom on HBO, you will understand this post better than others. In my AP Government class we were shown the opening scene (Click here to watch) and told to write an essay on why America is or is not the greatest country. This was my response:
I do agree that America is not the greatest country in the world. The word “greatest” has a very broad definition and everyone will think that their country is the greatest country. William McAvoy, The Newsroom, supports the definition of the word “greatest” with rankings of countries. Some of the numbers have improved since the episode aired, but there is still little evidence that shows that America is the “greatest” country. America is sixth in literacy, Finland is first. It is thirty-second in math, China is first and Finland is second. It is sixteenth in reading, Finland is first. It is sixteenth in life expectancy, Japan is first. It is fiftieth in infant mortality, Monaco is first and Japan is second. It is third in median income, Luxemburg is first. It is third in exports, China is first. America is thirteenth in education and decreasing and Finland is at a steady first. Sadly America tops in number of incarcerated citizens per capita, imports, and defense spending. Defense spending is almost seven times greater than the defense spending in China, who is second in defense spending. And surprisingly 80% of American adults believe in ethereal beings, which also top the charts. America’s chart toppers are not the most desired. Based on statistics, Finland seems to be the “greatest” country, not America.
I think that at one point in history America had the potential to be one of the greatest countries. There was a point that America was full of innovation, imagination, technological advances, opportunities, and so forth. Every country aspired to be America. Somewhere we lost the dream and respect. I didn’t live any time before the end of the 20th century so I can never be absolutely sure of America’s greatness. From what I hear, even though it had its ups and downs, America was a wonderful place to be in the past.
Originally, America was built on a great and powerful idea. It broke away from the most powerful colonizing force and became its own powerful nation. It all started with an idea and then the action that made the idea become reality. In the industrial revolution America built great factories filled with the most advanced machinery. Americans have made iPhones and mobile computers within thirty years of the creation of the household desktop and mobile phone. America used to have ambition and creativity and that was the greatest aspect a country could have.
I can go on and on about the downfalls of America today. McAvoy was right when he said “you are without a doubt a member of the worst, period, generation, period, ever, period.” This generation is full of ignorance, discrimination, bickering, hate, lies, deceit, uneducated politics, and everything in between. We still have aspirations, everyone does, and we just won’t work for it. Yes, we want it all -- the cars, houses, six figure incomes, and respect and admiration for our unparalleled brilliance -- and we don't want to work for it. This generation is born ignorant so that the people who see that this generation is ignorant still cannot be released from ignorance because there are no opportunities anymore because more money is spent fighting other countries wars instead of educating the people of America. That is another problem Americans have, they lost the idea that they once had and replaced it with fast paced action. Americans need results “now, now, now” but are too lazy to learn to be able to do it themselves. That is not even the complete downfall of America.
All I have to say to the government is “Get your heads out of your butts and do something productive.” The two major political parties cannot stop attacking each other long enough to fix a problem. They need to inform the public, they need to educate the public, they need to protect the rights of the public, not sit around and argue over abortion, which males should never have a say in, and the wealth’s tax cuts expiring. The government needs to act logically for the benefit of the public and right now that isn't happening.
As a citizen, one needs to inform and educate oneself to form unbiased conclusions. DO NOT just follow someone else’s ideas, create them for yourself. By doing this you open yourself to so many possibilities and opportunities. You’ll be able to get that six figure job if you educate yourself. You can have it all as long as you are informed. That is all that a citizen can really do for themselves and society.
Overall, McAvoy was right. We used to be great, we aren't anymore. But we still can be.
~Emily, The Yellow Umbrella
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