RICHARD WORZEL
Is America Still the Greatest Country in the World?
“There is 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.â€
– News anchor Will MacAvoy, a character in “The Newsroomâ€, HBO
There are actually two questions implied in the title of this blog. First, is America still the greatest country in the world? And then, if it is, can it remain so – or even, how long can it remain so?
That America was the greatest country in the world following World War II, and through the second half of the 20th Century is beyond dispute. In economic power, military might, cultural influence, and just about every other way, America bestrode the world like a colossus, with only the Soviet Union and its empire providing anything like serious competition.
But just as the sun finally set on the British Empire, is America’s day over?
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