Just to illustrate how blind US "leaders" are to the reality the people of our nation face (or maybe they are quite happy with this) the information below should serve as a wake-up call for people who still think that the USA is #1!
USA Today reported on February 1 the following:
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Friday the United States would become a "second-rate power" if Congress and the White House fail to reach a budget deal that would avoid an extra $500 billion in military budget cuts over the next 10 years.
Do we not yet see the deadly connection between US imperialism and the dissolution of social progress at home? How much more obvious can it be?
- 22nd place when it comes to keeping our people out of long-term unemployment
- 26th place in school performance and the same in literacy
- 35th place in keeping our fellow citizens above the poverty line
- 37th place in providing health care, or to state it another way
- 48th place in infant mortality – keeping babies alive until their first birthday – generally accepted as the best overall indicator of a nation’s health
- 50th place in life expectancy at birth
- 91st place in overall equality of income distribution and
- 116th place in the share of income held by the poorest 10% of the population.
Thanks to Veterans for Peace former president Mike Ferner for these stats.
But perception is far more powerful than reality, thus the mainstream "information" and entertainment media churn out endless propaganda for U.S. exceptionalism. Keep blogging Bruce -- we need to hear from you!
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