In a New York Times opinion piece today David Leonhardt explains why the United States is “the most dangerous of wealthy nations for a child to be born into.” And these are not even his words, but are instead the words of the journal Health Affairs. The gist of Leonhardt’s article is that the US is falling behind the rest of the world in reducing infant mortality, vehicle deaths, and shooting deaths. One scary statistic is the the US gun homicide rate is 49 times that in other rich countries.
It is a shame that the United States has become a nation hostile to children, women, minorities and the disadvantaged. Trump and the Republicans seem to be interested only in factual misrepresentation and the reduction of support for America’s most needy citizens. That is why this New York Times opinion piece is so important to take seriously. It’s a concrete warning to Americans that the great country they have always believed in is no more. And that the solution is to start looking to the rest of the world for answers.
Film maker Michael Moore’s 2015 documentary “Where to Invade Next” offers yet another wake-up call to Americans. He also argues that the US can learn from other countries.
There are still good things about the United States, but it is no longer the greatest nation on earth. The time has come its citizens to recognize the deficiencies.