Yes, we are becoming more divided in this country, and this wasn't how it was supposed to be. We were supposed to come together and make our society better than it was. At a minimum, better than it has become. Instead, we have given in to the irrational fear that our lifestyle is threatened by various changes in our country and in the world, and by the irrational non-belief in changes that actually do threaten our lifestyle.
Look at the concept of American superiority. We constantly hear from politicians that America is the "best country in the world." A politician could never get elected to national office who did not utter that phrase at every political rally. Is it true, or is it comparable to Mother, Baseball, and Apple Pie?
As a former expat, I have heard the same said from Australian, British, New Zealand, and Canadian politicians about their respective countries, and the same is probably said by politicians in many countries. Do the people in those countries and their leaders believe it? Of course, and just as sincerely as Americans do. But you don't hear it constantly in other countries as you do in America. Ask any other expat you may know, and they will probably tell you the same story.
When it comes to military superiority, there is no doubt that the USA leads the world. Of the over $1.7 trillion of the world's total military expenditures, 41% is by the USA. Approximately the same spent by the next 14 countries--combined. Does that alone make America the best country in the world? No, it just buys us the best military. We are continually fed the line that if we cut any military spending, we are putting our country at risk. From what? Oh, various and sundry irrational threats. It used to be the USSR, so we had to build thousands of nuclear weapons and be able to use them at a moment's notice so we could wipe out the civilized world if we detected the thread of attack on us. It was called Mutually Assured Destruction, or appropriately enough, MAD. Because it was. Or the risk was from China, or Vietnam (now both strong trading partners), or North Korea or Iran.
Iran's nuclear threat is very interesting. How did they obtain it? In 1957, the U.S. and Iran signed a nuclear cooperation agreement. In 1967 the U.S. supplied Iran with fissile isotopes of uranium and plutonium for their reactors. In the 1970, plans were completed to build up to 20 nuclear reactors with U.S support and backing. In 1975, MIT signed a contract to train Iranian nuclear engineers. So we helped create our own threat, rational or not. Somewhat ironic.
Let's get back to American superiority, and the irrational fear that we are losing it. Most of these fears concern cultural issues: non-white illegal immigrants, African-American political power, gay rights, abortion rights, religious tolerance or intolerance, class warfare, environmental issues, etc. Fear of those who differ from us, or who have beliefs that differ from ours. The fear that "real Americans" (read: white, Christian) will no longer be the majority and will lose power. The fear that those who presently have advantages (read: the old boy network), may lose those advantages. The fear that one's hatred of niggers, spics, fags, rag-heads, tree-huggers, and bat-shit gun nuts may become illegal. All irrational fears. Although that last part sounds somewhat desirable.
Our leaders say we have the best health system in the world, yet every study shows we do not. Our leaders say we have the best basic educational system in the world, yet every study of elementary and secondary education systems show that we do not. Did we ever have the best of these systems? Probably, but we do not now, and for some strange irrational reason, we do not fear this loss. Neither do we fear our impact on the environment and the harm it causes our country and the world.
Fear is being used to further divide our country. It was not supposed to be this way. America, where are you now? We were once travelling down the right road. I wonder how we got lost.
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