Thinking about what's right in America
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Those who choose to uproot from nations all over the world to come to America and start their lives anew are interested in what is right, not what is wrong. The U.S. is still a land of dreams and opportunity.
Amid this holiday season of reflection, I'm thinking about America's future.
A new poll from Gallup serves up some sobering data regarding how young Americans feel about their country.
Gallup asked the question, "Do you think the U.S. has a unique character that makes it the greatest country in the world, or don't you think so?"
Eighty percent said "yes," America is the greatest country, in 2010 and 78 percent said yes in 2018.
However, among 18- to 34-year-olds, 80 percent said yes in 2010 but this dropped by 18 percentage points in 2018 to 62 percent.
It's troubling to think that now 4 out of 10 young Americans do not see their nation as exceptional and the greatest in the world.
Maybe there is a sense creeping into our youth that America is no longer the land of opportunity that it once was.
In a 2017 Pew Research Global Attitudes & Trends survey , only 37 percent of Americans said they believed so when asked, "When children today grow up, will they be better off financially than their parents?" This compared with 82 percent in China (in 2016), 69 percent in Chile and 50 percent in Israel.
According to recent data from the Brookings Institution , just 50 percent of those born in 1984 earn more than their parents, compared with 61 percent of those born in 1970 and 79 percent of those born in 1950.
But if America's youth are losing a sense that this is a land of dreams, this sentiment doesn't seem to be shared by the million immigrants who arrive in the U.S. every year.
According to a new study by the National Foundation for American Policy, 55 percent of privately held startup companies in the U.S. now worth more than a billion dollars were started by immigrants from 25 different countries.
The study reports that the collective value of these firms founded by immigrants is $248 billion and each company employs an average of 1,200 people.
Most of these immigrant entrepreneurs came to the U.S. to study as international students and chose to stay and become citizens. However, some arrived as refugees and were sponsored by family members.
This all tells me that America is still a land of dreams and opportunity. Are there things wrong with this country? Certainly. But there still is plenty that is right.
Those who choose to uproot from nations all over the world to come here and start their lives anew are interested in what is right, not what is wrong.
I like this quote from former TV personality Art Linkletter, who observed, "Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
There's an important point here. Success is not just about one's circumstances, but also what is happening inside of each individual – one's character.
The holidays are a good time to think about this.
I suggest two things. First, let's look at what is right about America. And second, let every American ask themselves if they truly believe they are the best they can be, and if not, why not?
Let's each take personal responsibility to make ourselves and our country as great as possible and stop thinking that it's others and circumstances that block our path.
I think the nation would soar, even with the things that are wrong, if all Americans got out of bed each morning with the sense that what happens to them is not because of anything but what they themselves choose to do. And, if at the same time, we related to ourselves and everyone else as created in the image of God.
We all would discover how much power each of us has and we all would discover how great America is, because it is free.
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It's troubling to think that now 4 out of 10 young Americans do not see their nation as exceptional and the greatest in the world.
Personally I dont find this surprising, Although I have always known that we really are one of the best if not the best country in the world by nature of our constitution and how our government is designed puting the people themselves in charge.
(At least in theory)
I think the youth of today have grown up in a devided America. This division shows the ugly side of both sides quite often it's no wonder the young people don't want more of it. It's disgusting actually. We all share ONE land both ideological sides can not have their own way all the time.
With Today's american government working to get elected usually takes so much money the candidates are actually more indebted to their financial backers than they are to the people who vote for them. That's a major problem. That problem ripples throughout the whole system corrupting it, no wonder the USA is losing admiration. It should.
Just my opinion and I dont think it's gonna change easily. This division is too profitable both in wealth and power for the politicians and media.
In a way We the people have lost control of our country. I hope we wake up soon but, I don't know that we will.
Good Luck America
It is very complicated but IMO there is plenty of blame to go around and it starts with previous generations. Every generation wants the next (their kids) to have it better than they had it. Thats just human nature and hard to argue against.
And in trying to do so i believe we are rapidly approaching (or have passed) a point of no return where that is realistically possible. Expectations of the younger generation are high and largely unrealistic because previous generations promised them that way. So much drives it. Here's a couple of them:
- Participation trophy mentality. God forbid anyone doesn't feel like they came in "first place" in any life related activity. No losers and all winners is not a realistic expectation. This mentality does no one any favors.
- Education indoctrination, every kid is encouraged to get a college degree when some clearly aren't meant to do so and there simple aren't enough good paying jobs for everyone if they did. So they are justifiable pissed off for being given that false promise. Not their fault. Blame the people making those unrealistic promises
That said i agree money is corrupting government but its naive to think that removing that influence is going to fix everything people want fixed. Some of that lobbying gets you what you want, so you'd be losing that influence as well.
With that in mind i think much of the angst in the US has always been here in some form or another. It ebbs and flows with historical events. Don't believe me? How do you think most Americans were feeling in 1862 after Fredricksburg?
HOLY SHIT!!
I read that all the way through twice and actually thought. "That's a well writtent, thought out comment"
Somebody pick my fat ass up off the floor please?
In spite of the poor grammar and spelling?
spelling and grammar are memorized intelligence. That is not the only kind of intelligence.
Myself I screwed around at the age we learned those skills. Later I got serous, I still have plenty of problems with both spelling and grammar but I sure dont consider myself dumb, stupid or not intelligent.
PS:I also happened to agreed with sparty on's post and had no problem following what he meant. In fact If not for your mentioning It I wouldn't have given it a second thought and still think it was just fine for this or any chat room especially. I dont even bother to fix all my own screw ups some times on here that I see. So....
Yeah but there is always at least one "Sister Mary Edith" ready to wack knuckles in every blog. I guess we have found one of ours.
I respectully disagree. And I'm delighted to feel that most youths are not political. And very happy they're leaving us behind. Today's youth for the most part are already global.
The phone that you and I fumble over after we fumbled with laptops after we fumbled on desktops...is just as much tool and appliance to them...no big deal.
I actually am so happy to see how they're progressing in many ways. Another cool thing is for the most of them they don't understand our prejudices.
Yeah but can they use a slide rule ........
Way beyond a slide rule.
Many grew up learning how to write programs.
Have you ever noticed how young the app makers are?
They aren't afraid to be self employed either.
Meh ..... each generation i guess. When i started college computers were the size of buildings. By the time i left we had PC's
This generation we have oodles of kids who can write programs but not enough of those jobs to go around and yet few are willing to pick up everyones garbage.
We are not going in a good direction IMO. I experience it every day in my business. Its tougher than ever to hire motivated entry level people and for that matter qualified management people. Our business will ultimately shut down prematurely because of it.
Not good.
Abacus?
On the new hires I understand...the entitlement made me crazy.
But, it's not specifically about programmer jobs I was referring to. And it happens with each generation there is an advancement that is seen.
In my reference was that I can barely answer my damn phone which I'm using now, the 8 year old down the street would have had this comment written yesterday fast, and would reconfigure my phone before I got it back.
Did you teach an older person how to use their phone? I have.
We were impressed with speakers you could seperate as long as the wire lasted.
Now we're greeting people at our front door while we are at the office.
Other than the last slackers of our time...I think we'll do fine .
blah, blah, blah.
A bullshit seed from a bullshit source. Nothing but a bible thumper tap dance around their silly beliefs that America has turned to shit ever since the SCOTUS rightfully kicked religion out of public schools and that white xtian immigrants deserve to get fast tracked into the US first. America will never truly be free until we're free of the parasitic subculture fringe that demands a seat at the head of the national table, without bringing a single covered dish to the American buffet. Free will is an inalienable right, granted by the creator, to not choose to be associated with any self ordained and self empowered religious organizations created by man with the sole purposes of subjugating others and negating their individual freedom of choice, in other words, their free will. Why would some omnipotent and universal entity need the assistance of a group of self righteous morons that have twisted his ideals to benefit themselves exclusively?
At this point in time, the USA has little to be proud of. We are led by a compulsive liar who has humiliated, embarrassed and damaged the reputation of the country, something that won't be easy to get back, if ever. He doesn't know anything about governing and spends most of his time watching cable news. We are the asshole country of the world at the moment, led by the big one. I don't blame the young for not considering America exceptional, we most assuredly are not, and are falling further behind every day. And what's with the sudden love of immigrants? Kind of a weird pivot. Conservatives are not even for legal immigration these days and use fear of immigrants to win political battles.
If you can only find little to be proud of, I encourage you to emigrate to a country that you can be far more proud of.
We are still the nation of peole that give more than any other cvountry on earth, to herlp others. We do R&D on medicines to help people live longer more fulfilling lives while trying to eradicate as many diseases as possible. Our inventions, big and small are used around the world. It's sad to see people that have no appreciation for the country they live in-again, please feel free to move on to some place you appreoctae more. Sitting here whining about the country that provides you the life you have fixes nothing. Man (or Woman) up and hit the road to find your happiness.
IMO: Most Americans do that stuff more for the money and power than to help anyone much more than themselves.
Personally I dont have much faith in humanity. Including americans. It seems too me pretty much we are all in it more for ourselves than others. There is the exception but for the majority of humans they will throw anyone under the bus to get what they want.
Including most of our politicians and our current president.
Not that I would mind emigrating to a few places I've lived overseas, but for now I'll work within to make things better. The overt and public racism is nothing to be proud of, seems pretty easy for conservatives to overlook that.
If that were true, we wouldn't have thousands from other countries illegally crossing our borders.
MSM talking points.
MSM talking points.
MSM talking point.
Millennials can thank growing up during Bill Clinton's sexcapades, Obama's international apology tours, and the Left's overall identity politics for this.
Please learn the difference between a LEGAL immigrant and an ILLEGAL ALIEN. They are not the same. Conservatives definitely support LEGAL immigration, and you cannot dispute that fact.
I know the difference between legal and illegal, now you learn to curb the double standards and hypocrisy coming from conservatives. You all seem to overlook everything illegal and shady thing republicans ARE DOING TODAY and want to focus on the groups you love to hate. Conservatives don't even want legal immigration, I do dispute that. They have taken steps to limit it, so can the bullshit. Chain immigration? Used to be called family reunification, you know, like Melania's parents. And did you know Melania also broke the law on her visa?
Here, just for you.
I'm glad you do.
If Conservatives didn't want legal immigration , the following wouldn't have happened in the past 2 years:
According to NT's left wing gold standard - MB/FC - Pacific Standard Magazine's bias is left of center. Your PS Mag article clearly discusses ILLEGAL immigration while conflating it with LEGAL immigration. Please focus on this sentence:
LEGAL immigrants make sure that their visas and green cards are always current. That's why they do not worry about deportation.
Thank you.
Uh, maybe the younger generation does not buy into the bullshit that we have the greatest country ever.
The younger generations have a world at their fingertips. Travel is much more easy and accessible.
They are not stuck into one small corner of the world.
When talking about wages, there is proof all over the internet, if one looks, that real time wages have been mostly stagnant since the 70s.
This so called article touts looking at the positive yet at the same time is criticizing a large segment of society.
You know you're not exactly promoting tourism or any other economic development for Redding, Ca. with your above linked article, right ??