WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AMERICA?

A lot of Americans are viscerally angry at their political system. They hate Washington, they don’t trust politicians. Over the past decades, the mood has turned from healthy skepticism to outright distrust. Confidence in the US Congress has fallen precipitously. But voters also put less trust in other branches of government, like the Supreme Court and the presidency. More broadly,  fewer than one in five Americans now believe that "you can trust government in Washington to do what is right."

As Americans have ceased to trust in politicians and political institutions, they are also losing hope that they might actually accomplish something by taking part in politics. They have opted out of the political system and in many cases have stopped taking any interest in politics at all. While a clear majority of older Americans say they have quite a lot of interest in politics, most millennials openly admit that they have tuned out.

All in all, it’s a picture of a nation discouraged about its present and worried about its future, and highly doubtful that its institutions can pull America out of its through. There is plenty of good reason, with evidence uncovered daily, weekly and consistently throughout the years of the hypocrisy and failures of government, the failed promises of politicians, the lies and spin of the mainstream media and newspapers, the greed and exploitation of the financial sector and the “just us” mentality of above-the-law enforcers who are supposed to uphold justice.

• Only 8 percent have confidence in Congress
• 33 percent have confidence in the presidency
• 32 percent have confidence in the Supreme Court 
• 28 percent have confidence in banks.
• 21 percent have confidence in big business
• 24 percent have confidence in organized labor 
• 24 percent have confidence in newspapers.
• 21 percent have confidence in television news
• 52 percent of Americans […] are confident in the police

None of the three branches of government are trusted by even close to a majority of the American populace… maybe that’s to be expected, with frequent media criticisms of political figures in a polarizing two party system. But other pillars of society have lost their backing of the public, too in astonishing numbers that show not only that the American dream is dead, but that private institutions are widely perceived as being just as corrupt as public ones (or worse). To top it off this perception is entirely deserved. The aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis consolidated the power and wealth of the big banks, and gave the Federal Reserve ultimate power over the economy, while average Americans suffered greatly. Scandal after scandal revealed that corruption for what it is.

The factors are piling up beyond Americans’ capacity to excuse them away: fatigue from endless wars and threats of terrorism; cynically-false promises of hope and change; the repeated, brazen trampling of civil rights; a sharp decline of opportunity at the hands of economic recession; trade deals written in secret to enrich corporations; the rise of job-crushing technology and more have all sapped at the American spirit.

Whether most Americans follow these developments or not, they instinctually sense them. No one trustworthy is steering the ship worse, no one may be at the wheel at all.

The loss of confidence in the system ultimately relates to the loss of confidence in the freedom of the individual.

It is strong-willed and determined people who have always made America , and any other, strong and vibrant.

The constant detriment of individual rights and the endless calls to transfer power to the collective whether inside or outside of government