AMERICA’S DECLINE

America is in decline.  There are some that still attempt to deny this, but the reason why Donald Trump’s campaign slogan has so strongly resonated with the American people is because deep inside citizens  realize that America is not as great as it used to be.  The economy is a mess, the U.S. is 19 trillion dollars in debt, infrastructure is crumbling (roads and bridges are falling apart, airports are in Third World conditions), crime is on the rise, moral decay is all over, other countries don’t respect the U.S.  as much anymore, and the country is the most divided that it has been in decades. 

1. The U.S. ranks 34th out of 34 countries in terms of children in poverty. When UNICEF relative poverty- relative to the average in each society, the U.S. ranks at the bottom, above only Romania, even as Americans are, on average, six times richer than Romanians. Children in all of Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan fare better. Nearly 4-in-10 African-American children are living in poverty.
2. The U.S. ranks 36th out of 162 countries in terms of people living below the poverty line. Officially, 14.5% of Americans are impoverished- 45.3 million people- according to the latest U.S. Census data. That’s a larger fraction of the population in poverty than Morocco and Albania (though how nations define poverty varies considerably).
3. The U.S. ranks 4th in the world in terms of income inequality. The most severe inequality can be found in Chile, Mexico, Turkey and the U.S.  This inequality slows economic growth, impedes youth opportunities, and ultimately threatens the nation future. Worsening income inequality is also evident in the ratio of average CEO earnings to average workers’ pay.
4. The U.S. ranks 33rd out of 145 countries in terms of health. When it comes to its citizens’ health, in countries that are home to at least one million people, the U.S. ranks below many other wealthy countries. More American women are dying during pregnancy and childbirth (for every 100,000 births in the United States, 18.5 women die). Saudi Arabia and Canada have half that maternal death rate.
5. The U.S. ranks 27th out of 27 high-income countries in terms of median wealth per adult. Spain, Cyprus and Qatar all have higher median wealth (per capita) than America’s (about $ 39,000) and so does much of Europe and the industrialized world. Per capita median income in the U.S. ($ 18,700) is also relatively low and unchanged since 2000. Household incomes are down more than $ 4,000 since the year 2000. 62% of all Americans have less than $ 1,000 in savings, and millions upon millions of ordinary families find themselves desperately clawing and scratching as they try to survive from month to month. The middle class continues to shrink.
6. The U.S. ranks 16th out of 23 countries in terms of education and skills. The U.S. ranks near the bottom in a skill survey by the OECD. Higher education, once an effective way out of poverty in the U.S. isn’t anymore- at least not for lower-income and minority students. Today 80% of white college students attend top 500 schools, while 75% of black and Latino students go to two-year junior colleges or open-admissions (not Top 500) schools. Poor students are also far less likely to complete a degree. 58% of African-American youth are not employed. Two million more Latinos are in poverty today than when President Obama took his oath of office less than eight years ago. Another 14 million people have left the workforce entirely.
7. The U.S. ranks first out of 224 countries in terms of prison population (More than 2.2 million Americans are in jail, and only China comes close with about 1.66 million).
8. The U.S. ranks 17th out of 175 countries in terms of corruption. Barbados and Luxembourg are ahead of the U.S. when it comes to citizens' perceptions of corruption. Americans view their country as 'somewhat corrupt' according to Transparency International. Many Americans believe that politicians don't serve the majority's interest, but are biased toward corporate lobbyists and the super-rich. Special interest groups are gradually transforming the U.S. into an oligarchy, concerned only about the needs of the wealthy.
9. The U.S. ranks 17th out of 36 countries in terms of life satisfaction (The OECD Better Life Index measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. People in New Zealand, Finland, and Israel rate higher in life satisfaction).
10. The U.S. ranks 16th out of 34 countries in terms of Internet speed and access. Broadband access has become essential for industry to grow and flourish. Yet in the U.S. penetration is low and speed relatively slow versus wealthy nations.The problem may be too much concentration and too little competition in the industry.
11. The U.S. ranks 20th out of 178 countries in terms of stability. The Fragile States Index considers factors such as inequality, corruption and factionalism. The U.S. lags behind Portugal, Slovenia and Iceland.
12. The U.S. ranks 16th out of 133 countries in terms of social progress index. A broad measure of social well-being, the index comprises 52 economic indicators such as access to clean water and air, access to advanced eduation, access to basic knowledge and safety. Countries surpassing the U.S. include Ireland, the UK, Iceland, and Canada.
13. The U.S. manufacturing trade deficit has reached an all-time high- nearly $ 800 billion in a single year.
14. The U.S. budget is no better. The budget is no better. The U.S. national debt now reaches $ 19 trillion and growing.

America is a complete and total mess, and Donald Trump is completely correct when he talks about the need to make America great again.