Unpacking the idea of ‘The greatest country ever’

Many Americans, especially the president and members of Congress, believe that America is the greatest country in the world and possibly throughout history. It has the largest economy in the world and arguably the strongest military. Millions wish to come to America, legally or otherwise.

Stock markets are at all time record highs. President Trump brags about trillions of dollars of foreign investment headed this way that will supercharge the economy. Companies are planning to invest trillions in AI designed to revolutionize life for the better, a technology in which the U.S. has a huge advantage over all other states.

But if that is all true, other looming realities question this optimistic assessment. Consider a few.  

According to Gallup, for the second straight year, about 1 in 5 U.S. citizens “would like to leave the U.S. and move permanently to another country if they could.” This is driven by women, with 40 percent ages 15 to 44 saying “they would move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity.” In 2014, that figure was only 10 percent.  

Why, given that this is the richest country in the world, does 12 percent of the population require Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aid? Why are up to 63 percent of all Americans unable to afford an unexpected expense of $500 or more without borrowing? And why are polls showing 40 to 67 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck?

While those figures can be debated, the fact is that too many Americans fall into these categories given the huge wealth of this country. 

But more disappointing are the polls that reflect confidence, or lack thereof, regarding government and most institutions. Trump’s current approval ratings are 42 percent and probably will drop much lower with the release of the Epstein files.

Congress’s approval rating is at a shockingly low 15 percent. Whether that will change with the reopening of government, and in which direction, is a good question. The approval rating of how the Supreme Court is conducting its responsibilities is at 42 percent.

This is a prescription for a political calamity, as the 43-day shutdown showed. And it isn’t necessarily over. The continuing resolution only lasts until Jan. 31. Before then, raising the debt ceiling limits must receive a vote. 

Will further government stagnation become inevitable? Who knows. But this is no way to govern.

Then two other vital issues are at play: education and health care. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, while the U.S. spends much higher than average per student, in 2022, nine nations ranked above us in higher science literacy and 25 bested us in higher mathematics literacy.

In health care, one rating put the U.S. last among Western states, but the Peterson Institute was even more gloomy. In its latest comparison with “peer” states, the U.S. spent, on average, double the others for health, yet life expectancies were at least four years shorter. And medical issues for chronic obesity and other problems were greater than in peer states.

Perhaps the most interesting metric is the degree that Americans distrust the government followed by how they view their lives and the state of the nation. In 1964, before the Tonkin Gulf incident in August, over 75 percent of Americans trusted the government. Today that figure is revered. Two-thirds or more distrust the government.

About three quarters of Americans view their lives as acceptable or better. But only 20 percent have a favorable view of the way “things are going in the U.S.”

What to make of this data? Although America has many great things in its favor, all is not in keeping with us being “the greatest nation ever.” The fundamental problem is governance. 

What should be done is for both parties to examine these statistics and polls and hope that sinks in and forces corrective action. Otherwise, the future is not what we hope it will be.

Harlan Ullman, Ph.D., is UPI’s Arnaud deBorchgrave Distinguished Columnist, a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council, the chairman of two private companies and the principal author of the doctrine of shock and awe. He and former United Kingdom Defense Chief David Richards are the authors of a forthcoming book on preventing strategic catastrophe.