Posted on 10/28/2009 7:51:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The sky isn't falling, exactly. America isn't on a fast track to irrelevance. Even in a state of total neglect, we could probably shamble along as a disheveled superpower for a few more decades.
But all empires end, and the warning signs of American decline seem to be blinking more consistently. In the latest annual "prosperity index" published by the Legatum Institute, a London-based research firm, the United States ranks as the ninth most prosperous country in the world. That's five notches lower than last year, when America ranked No. 4. The drop might seem inconsequential, especially in the midst of a grueling recession—except that most of the world has endured the same recession, and other countries are bouncing back faster.
China and India have recovered smartly from the recession, for example. Brazil seems to be barreling ahead. Australia is growing faster than expected, prompting worry among government officials who fear they may have overstimulated the economy. The United States, meanwhile, is muddling through a weak, jobless recovery, and we have a lot of problems that could make prosperity feel elusive for a long time.
Real household income in America has flat-lined, for instance, which means many middle-class families are barely keeping up with inflation. The exploding federal deficit hamstrings the government's ability to help. Healthcare is too expensive, America's manufacturing base is eroding, and two open-ended foreign wars are draining the national treasury. This is not a recipe for building national wealth.
There are still millions of diligent, innovative Americans who could help the nation dig out of its hole. But overall, the American population is falling behind, by a variety of measures. Here are some of them:
* Jobs. The International Monetary Fund predicts that the U.S. unemployment rate will be 9.3 percent for all of 2010. That's lower than in some European nations, but it's higher than in Canada and a lot worse than most countries in Scandinavia and Asia. Overall, the U.S. unemployment rate is about average for advanced economies and likely to stay that way. It could be worse, but middling job creation isn't a sign of global leadership.
* Economic growth. The IMF also predicts that the U.S. economy will grow 1.9 percent in 2010. That's a tad better than the average for all advanced economies, but at least 10 developed nations will grow faster. Woo-hoo. Three cheers for mediocrity.
* Poverty. The U.S. poverty rate, about 17 percent, is third worst among the advanced nations tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In that sample, only Turkey and Mexico are worse.
* Education. American 15-year-olds score below the average for advanced nations on math and science literacy. But don't worry, our nation's future leaders are still ahead of their peers in Mexico, Turkey, Greece, and a few other places.
* Competitiveness. In the latest global competitiveness report from the World Economic Forum, the United States fell from No. 1 to No. 2. Sure, let's console ourselves that the No. 1 country, Switzerland, is a tiny outlier nation and that getting bumped from the top spot doesn't really mean anything. Add an asterisk, and we're still No. 1.
* Prosperity. The most prosperous nations, according to the Legatum report, are Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. These fairly homogenous European countries are the teachers' pets of global rankings, often appearing near the top because of right-sized economies and a relatively small underclass. For a huge economy like America's, a No. 9 ranking is still respectable. And part of the drop from last year's No. 4 spot is a change in methodology that puts more emphasis on the health and safety of citizens. Still, in the index's subrankings, the United States isn't even in the top 10 for economic fundamentals, safety and security, or governance. We should do better.
* Health. In the Legatum study, the United States ranks 27th for the health of its citizens. Life expectancy in America is below the average for 30 advanced countries measured by the OECD, and the obesity rate in America is the worst among those 30 countries, by far. And, of course, we spend far more on healthcare per person than anybody else—but get no bang for the extra buck.
* Well-being. In the United Nations' Human Development Index, which attempts to measure the overall well-being of citizens throughout the world, the United States ranks 13th, one notch lower than in the prior set of rankings. Norway, Australia, Iceland, and Canada are at the top.
* Happiness. The United States ranks 11th in the OECD's measure of "life satisfaction"—behind Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and other usual suspects. That's not bad, but the United States is one of only four countries where life satisfaction is going down, not up. The other downer nations are Portugal, Hungary, Canada, and Japan.
Plus, the research behind these rankings predates the recession, so it's likely that Americans are a lot less satisfied these days.
The overall portrait of America isn't exclusively gloomy, and in some areas we still seem to have an important edge. The Legatum prosperity index, for example, ranks America first for entrepreneurship and innovation. And in a GfK Roper survey of how nations rate as global "brands," America rocketed from No. 7 in 2008 to No. 1 in 2009, largely because the world cheered the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president. But a brand-name leader can't just strong-arm his nation back to greatness. He needs a lot of help from educated, healthy, and employed citizens determined to spread the wealth.
—With Carol Hook and Danielle Burton
Is US news factoring Illegal Immigration or counting Illegal persons into the statistics of poverty(17%),Health or education???
Seems to me that Illegals would be skewing the stats.
Since the IMF and similar groups are Anti-American Globalist....they are not going to mention that the US economy has been trashed by Free Trade Globalism and other globalist wealth redistribution schemes
#10: Elected a half-wit Marxist to the presidency.
It will continue to decline at least for the next 3 years.
How’s that Hope and Change working for you.
Remember Obama’s words .”My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you’ll join with me as we try to change it.”
Well it’s working.
“We are the change we have been waiting for.”
Not me Hoss. I kinda liked it before we started apologising to the world for our existence.
Obama/Rahm - You are the authors of the UN-Stimulus Bill that added $1 Trillion to the domestic deficit and destabilized the US Dollar.
You F’d up the economy. Yes Obama, you voted for the budgets from 2004 onwards, You voted for Tarp. You signed the Stimulus Bill penned by Rahm, Pelosie and the Appollo Group (headed by a former Weather Under Ground leader). You took over GMAC/Chrysler. You put your political Communist Hacks in powerful positions. You own this you pantywaist, metro-sexual, Communist Pig. You are eating at the trough now, but We, the People will have your bacon come November 2012. Bet on that.
I have to call BS on this article. I’ve been stationed in Europe and Asia. When you see other countries first hand you no longer have any doubts that the US is the best.
Taxes.
No. 1 on the list should be taxes. The US of A has the world's HIGHEST corporate tax rate.
Can any nation grow and prosper under socialist tax and spend policies such as ours?
"Most of us believe socialism is what the socialists want us to believe it is
- a share-the-wealth program. That is the theory. But is that how it works?...
If one understands that socialism is not a share-the-wealth program, but is
in reality a method to consolidate and control the wealth, then the
seeming paradox of super-rich men promoting socialism becomes no paradox at all.
Instead it becomes the logical, even the perfect tool of power-seeking megalomaniacs.
Communism, or more accurately, socialism, is not a movement of the downtrodden masses,
but of the economic elite." - Gary Allen, None Dare Call It Conspiracy
So true. Remember when we cooks who opposed NAFTA were getting in the way of job creation at home and helping Mexico at the same time (thus reducing illegal immigration) Even Rush supported that mess. They said at the time we needed 15 years to realize the benefits. We are past 15 years at what do we have? The American sheeple have short memories, however.
The question our illustrious Congress might be asking on their obsession with this issue is:
Why is this? (if of course it is really true)
Gee, could it possibly be that the United States of America has three times more lawyers per capita than any other nation on the planet (I think GB is next).
And of course that the United States Congress, President, and Supreme Court consists of lawyers?
And that the Democratic Party is financed by lawyers?
And that the lawyer cabal refuses to protect the medical fraternity from unreasonable litigation because they can rape profits from it?
And that nobody, virtually nobody, in the public forum questions this?
And that the fractious litigious atmosphere in the United States of America, in across the board industries in addition to healthcare, is pimped by lawyers who make money from it?
Ronald Reagan wasn't a lawyer was he? Harry Truman wasn't a lawyer was he? Dwight Eisenhower wasn't a lawyer was he?
Hmmmm, just seems like that Congress and that Washington DC crowd consists of mighty shallow people. Must be Harvard products.
Johnny Suntrade
Bulk ammunition is hard to come by for a reason...
Guys, I was real happy until nancy peloosi became speaker. Since then our country has been on a tail spin of disaster. Obammy is just the tip of the iceberg. Consider the following: Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Jack Murtha, John Conyers, Barbara Boxer, Nostrilitis, Rahm Emmanuel, Franken ... add any to this list - it is long. But I am so glad we were able to outlaw the 3-way incandesent lightbulb when oil was at $145/bbl. We are in the inverse universe today.
Short of falling into a civil war this country will be always be a power due to it’s size, natural resources, and work ethic. How you rank us depends on who’s doing the ranking.
Do not forget to factor in the new level of corruption draining the treasury through bailouts, porkulus, TARP, ACORN, and a host of other ways we are not prosecuting....yet.
How ‘bout No.1 !!
Obesity (most recent) by country
# 1 United States: 30.6%
# 2 Mexico: 24.2%
# 3 United Kingdom: 23%
# 4 Slovakia: 22.4%
# 5 Greece: 21.9%
# 6 Australia: 21.7%
# 7 New Zealand: 20.9%
# 8 Hungary: 18.8%
# 9 Luxembourg: 18.4%
# 10 Czech Republic: 14.8%
* Although the U.S. is experiencing depression era 3’s of unemployment, particularly in the true Unemployment, they remain far ahead of the rest of the world in ability to generate new jobs. Once the miss step of the election of a Marxist is repaired in 2012, the job picture will roar back to highly impressive levels.
* Economic grownt of 1.9% in a $14 Trillion economy blows away 6% growth in a $3 - 4 trillion economy. Raw numbers show that over the course of several decades the U.S. economy will grow in real dollars at a much higher rate than any other economy.
*Poverty is greater in U.S. based on the U.S. standard of living. The poor in this country have flat screen TV's, cars, several changes of clothes, and are fat. The poor in Brazil live in Favalas and Garbage dumps. The get rickets, scurvy and malaria. This is the common state of much of the world. Irt is a constant source of embarrassment that the average “poor American” is over weight.
* Education in America's inner cities is despicable. However This is one of the very few countries that educates every citizen. The fact remains that when America's high end students, those who are educated in private, parochial, and home schooling environments. They remain on an equal or higher plane as any nations children on the face of the earth. It must also be taken into account that the U.S. is not a homogeneous society. We have dozens of cultures that have to be dealt with in any metro area. The Asian countries have NO diversity of any kind. To this day children not 100% of the national origin of the specific Asian countries are often poorly trteated and shunned.
* Competitiveness of Switzerland is inconsequential at best. The raw data is sure to be ridiculous on this count. Good luck finding out how they come to the conclusion that a country of 7 million people can compete in any aspect with the American Economy.
* Prosperity: Once again the data doesn't take into account REAL numbers. Hows about the average living space, or size of domicile. The average real $ income. When you remove the fraudulent health and safety numbers the U.S. would remain among the top two or three if not the number one spot.
*This false life expectancy number has been dealt with before. In the U.S. an infant that takes one breath is issued a birth certificate, even if the one breath is the only one the poor soul ever takes. The fact is that the U.S. enjoys the highest outcome ratings for ALL diseases. Every single one. Once again, the non-homogenous society and life style as well as anomalies in the collection and calculating of data. It is almost automatic that the richest of all countries would spend the most on health care. How much is the life of your child, wife, parents or Self worth, everything you have?
*Wellbeing is not even a legitimate measurement. nuff said.
*Happiness also ridiculous question. Americans are striver's. Those who strive are always unhappy because a striver's reach is always greater than their grasp. If the Scandinavian countries are so happy, how come they consistently lead the world in suicide rates?
Another duma$$ article from the Dumba$$ msm.
Those still capable of critical thinking understand this.
I think the author needs to brush up on his research skills a bit - I have been in both of these countries in the past three months for work, and they are definitely reeling economically - China in particular has a lot of shut down or underutilized factory capacity at the moment (which makes sense if their USA market is not buying as much).
Explain how those in "poverty" in the US get free medical/housing/education/food/etc. and drive around in cars and watch tv and get free cell phones?
Life expectancy in America is below the average
Haven't we heard there have been 5000 deaths from H1N1 around the world and 1000 of those have been in the US. Could that be because we have such deplorable medical care or is it because other countries don't have the medical personnel to report such cases? This entire article compares apples with monkeys. Certainly, America is suddenly on what appears to be a downhill direction, we can be saved if the GOP mans up.
“Short of falling into a civil war this country will be always be a power due to it’s size, natural resources, and work ethic.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
That great work eithic is nowhere near as universal as it once was. There are a lot of things going on to squash it.
Not that I’m not worried about my country, but those UN Human Development Index numbers are specifically engineered to make socialism look good. If we had every person in America jumping up and down at their good fortune every day, the UNHDI would say we’re all miserable and screwed from our lack of Soviet-style medicine.
Interesting comparison of picture portraits. Horses in both cases, but with Obama he has abandoned his horse. He is not walking on water, like Christ, but is making a slash, nonetheless. Griping the letter B means he is for himself while his bare chest (sexuality) and roses (love) goes on display. Barack is walking away from both the sunlight and his horse perhaps drawn to an inexplicable something the public will never know about. The star quality of this man is apparent — pop star, rap star, rock star — but no indication for his station in life: President of the United States. That goes unmentioned. The man and the office have nothing in common; unlike Washington, who is dressed for war where protection or security is the first role of government. Washington wears white like Obama but Obama wear total white. Again, the purity (almost religious) is front and center only to be contrasted by the man, his dark skin colour. The heavens shine on him as he walks away from it. Passion (slashing waves) is what he causes in people — the presidency is the least of anybodies concern.
That is true about the work ethic declining, but as long as we are both here that’s at least two people on the plus side.
You forgot Culture - with the daily spew coming out of Hollywood and permeating our society.
Don’t make unwarranted assusmptions, I am feeling kinda lazy lately.
CSpan today, Wyden (D-OR) says he simply wants the government to direct the money to the best areas.
In other words, government control.
I’ve got enough...But that doesn’t mean I do not want more...
Smoot Hawley Tariff anyone? We were about in need of another Great Depression.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.