Despite assurances by the Right that America is the shining city on a hill and the leader of the free World, evidence keeps piling up that we are rapidly losing ground to most of the World because of the total failure of our free market economic system to re-mediate ANY of the problems we face. The facts are surely depressing: Criminal Justice – the US imprisons more people than any nation on earth, and poverty and race are significant factors in a person’s likelihood of arrest, charge, conviction and severity of punishment. Gun Violence – The U.S. leads the developed world in firearm-related murders, and the difference isnt a slight gap – more like a chasm. Healthcare – A study last year found that in many American counties, especially in the deep South, life expectancy is lower than in Algeria, Nicaragua or Bangladesh. The U.S. is the only developed country that does not guarantee health care to its citizens. Support for Families – The U.S. is among only three nations in the world that does not guarantee paid maternal leave (the other two are Papua New Guinea and Swaziland). Infrastructure – The United States infrastructure is slowly crumbling apart and is in desperate need for repair. One study estimates that the nation’s infrastructure system needs a $3.6 trillion investment over the next six years.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 19:52:05 +0000