Not to mention us reaching out and granting citizenship to every third worlder we can get out hands on.
A Government needs to protect a person, and his property, from illegal seizure.
All else springs from that.
Lose that, and a nation becomes a “3rd World” country very quickly.
The US has a way out. Dump the environmentalists and exploit/export our natural resources (oil, gas, coal and timber). Stop importing poverty via legal and illegal immigration so existing Americans have a chance to get a job. If the US can do both we will be on the road to recovery.