The Greatest Country?

A young lady asked me recently if I thought America was still the greatest country in the world.  I didn’t directly answer her because I was afraid that if I answered honestly from my head instead of my heart, I wouldn’t like the answer.  Around the same time, a friend told me about an HBO show called “Newsroom” and suggested I watch the opening scene of the first episode.  I finally watched it on Youtube and I found my answer.

In the episode, Jeff Daniels is a newscaster that is part of a debate at a university.  The panel is asked by a college student what makes America great.  After dodging the question with some cliché answers, Jeff Daniels’ character unleashes a tirade at the college student.

In his tirade, he says in part, “there’s absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we’re the greatest country in the world.  We’re 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force and number 4 in exports.  We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, 25 of whom are allies. “  He then goes on to talk about how this country used to be great.

He said, “It sure used to be.  We stood up for what was right.  We fought for moral reason.  We passed laws, struck down laws, for moral reason.  We waged wars on poverty, not on poor people.  We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were and we never beat our chest.  We built great, big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases and we cultivated the world’s greatest artists AND the world’s greatest economy.  We reached for the stars, acted like men.  We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it.  It didn't make us feel inferior.  We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election and we didn't scare so easy.  We were able to be all these things and do all these things because we were informed…by great men, men who were revered.”

He’s correct. We used to fight for moral reasons.  We used to care for our neighbors.  We aspired to greater things.  We didn't belittle intelligence or success.  We didn't settle for “good enough.”  We used to take chances because we thought the rewards were worth the risks.  We didn't sue the pants off everyone in hopes of making someone else pay for our misfortune or mistakes.

This country has never been perfect, but it had the promise of a brighter future. There was the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  No guarantees of success, but a promise of opportunity for those willing to work.  Honestly, the future doesn't seem all that bright at the moment.  And to admit that seems, to me, a betrayal of all my parents and grandparents worked for.  So how the hell do we make this country great again?

First of all, we have to stop being so self-centered. We have to realize that our cell phone conversations in a crowded restaurant or texting in traffic is nothing but self-centered behavior.  Courtesy and kindness should be the hallmarks of our interactions with others.  Self-reliance, personal responsibility, and self-discipline should be the very essence of our makeup, not quaint notions of by-gone days.  Our moral compass should include things like trustworthiness and cleanliness (mind and body).   But far too often, the moral compass of most people is driven by instant gratification.

Is America the greatest country in the world?  My heart says yes, but my head says otherwise.  We don’t celebrate intelligence anymore, we celebrate mediocrity and stupidity.  We resent the success in others; instead of giving them a pat on the back, we demand our fair share.  We label as “greedy” those who work hard and want to keep the results of that hard work.  We expect the government to take care of us instead of working to provide for ourselves.  We demand tolerance from others, but only tolerate in others those viewpoints, ideas, lifestyles, and beliefs that match ours.  And we've become so afraid that we've given up many of our liberties for which others bled and died just to feel safe.  I’m talking about relinquishing our privacy and allowing our government to track and monitor our activities. 

America can be the greatest again.  We are blessed with wonderful resources and opportunities. But, it will take a hard working and well informed citizenry to get there.  Ashton Kutcher recently defined sexy as “really smart, thoughtful, and generous.”  Go be sexy and make America the greatest again.