An overall examination of America’s descending fortunes is startling. The crisis is not restricted to any one area. It extends to a broad range of the most important aspects of national life. This turn of events was neither inevitable nor due to any external events.
In early November, Moody’s Investor Service let it be known that it was considering downgrading the U.S. Sovereign Credit Rating Outlook from neutral to negative. This follows the August downgrade by Fitch Ratings from AAA to AA+. An Atlantic Council review noted that “The downgrading decision is another warning sign, and the only question is why it took twelve years for Fitch to follow the move by S&P to remove the AAA rating on US long-term debt. Neither the complacency of markets nor the forced optimism of officials reflects the seriousness of the rating agencies’ concerns.”
Beyond government debt, which has risen from $10.3 trillion in 2008 to $33 trillion today, with no appreciable gain in infrastructure, military strength, education, or any other aspect in the national life, individual Americans are dealing with massive inflation.
The U.S. had achieved energy independence, but this extraordinary accomplishment was thrown away. Now, Washington begs for supplies from nations hostile to it.
American education is failing. A Fortune study found that “American students are in trouble. About a third of students in the youngest grades are behind on reading. Only 36% of fourth graders are proficient at grade-level math. The newest National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP)–the nation’s report card–shows eighth-graders’ history scores are the lowest on record since the assessment began in 1994. And what’s more, every single state experienced teacher shortages in at least one subject in 2022.”
73.654 people died as a result of Fentanyl last year, notes usafacts. FBI Statistics indicate that property crimes and carjacking’s have increased sharply. Random violence haunts major cities.
The United States is functioning as a nation without borders. At least 2.8 million persons have entered the U.S. illegally this year. This will produce a massive increase in human trafficking, foreign agents, and terrorists. Additionally, state and local governments are experiencing massive financial difficulties in dealing with the housing, medical, educational, and food needs of the influx.
Race relations have descended dramatically, not due to any actual reason but due to the political posturing of a very vocal progressive pressure group, the same people who have introduced antisemitism into American universities and politics.
Through the early part of the 21st century, America was seen as the predominate superpower. However, as a result of underinvestment in defense, the discouragement of enlistment, and bad treaties, that is no longer true. Military recruiting is dismally short of what is needed. Both the Army and the Air Force are about 10,000 short each of their goals, and the Navy will be about 6,000 below necessary numbers.
Russia has a more powerful nuclear force, and China has a larger navy. A wholly botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving billions of dollars to the very terrorists that were responsible for the 9/111 attacks, signaled Washington’s adversaries that incompetence existed in the White House.
The basic underpinnings of American democracy have been directly challenged. Biased federal agencies interfered in the 2020 presidential election by seeking to pressure media sources to not publish news stories that were detrimental to one side. It also assisted that side by aiding in the propagation of an utterly false allegation about the candidate of the other side.
These outcomes are the direct result of terrible policy decisions and the subjugation of the national good to partisan politics. A desperate attempt to buy votes led to spending far beyond what the nation can afford. Appeasing environmental extremists who operate on questionable and falsely alarming studies irrationally destroyed energy production, which directly led to massive inflation. Limiting defense spending to have more dollars to buy votes has weakened national security.
The educational establishment has turned away from using schools to teach objective facts and now commits resources for frankly partisan purposes. In service to those partisan objectives, it spreads false teachings on the environment, race relations, and American history.
The President and his family have been significantly enriched by the Chinese Communist Party. This discourages his Administration from confronting Beijing on its outrageous actions in fentanyl chemical exports, massive arms buildup, Latin American military buildup, human rights violations, international aggression, extensive espionage, intellectual property theft, and more.
The good news is that this course of events can be stopped and eventually reversed with a change in leadership.
Illustration: Pixabay