How to Create Change series

US Compared to the World

(TL;DR: This article is necessarily long because of the topic. You can read the Summary and Conclusion at the end.)

When I visited Holland, people greeted me with joy, reflecting on the US turning the tide during WWII. Everything I hear about the US from within our country is that we are the greatest country on Earth.

People in every country really should be proud of the country they live in. There is a lot to like in the US But are we the best—or even close?

We think we’re the best the world has to offer. We think we’re a shining light of democracy to the rest of the world. We think everyone loves us. After all, we gave them the Constitution, which many other nations have adopted and adapted, and we “saved the world” during WWII with the “Greatest Generation.” We lead in technology, don’t we?

Today, our message seems to be: “Come here, bring your riches with you, and get even richer!” We tout wealth, GDP, and military might as if those were the highest ideals. No doubt the US has the strongest military, and we spend more on the military than the next ten highest countries combined.

The US does have the largest number of billionaires. But the countries with the highest GDP per capita are Singapore, Luxembourg, Macao SAR, and Ireland. Somehow we get fooled by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures. The US isn’t even in the top 10 (it ranks 13th).

The lying mirror image is by Veo3 from a suggestion by Dorian Scott Cole

This should tell us something. Maybe we place ourselves on an undeserved pedestal. Maybe there is room for improvement, and we are blinded by the shine of our own glorious pride in the mirror.

The Bible gives us some warnings:

“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
– Romans 12: 3

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
– Proverbs 16:18

Maybe, just maybe, we should look a little deeper at qualitative measures in our lives and see if other nations should be copying us, or if we should be copying them. Maybe we should learn from our children.

Economic Security and Stability

“It’s the economy, stupid!” is a refrain we hear during elections. People’s pocketbooks are the number one issue: we have to support our families. As we saw in my American Dream article, we’ve been derailed, with the middle economic class hollowed out and a high percentage of people no longer believing the American Dream is possible. The middle financial class is essential to the economy and our future well-being.

Wealth inequality is measured by the Gini Coefficient. A very low number means wealth is well-distributed. A high number means it’s not. Norway, France, Canada, and Germany have the lowest. India, which is often regarded by the US as very poor, is rated 25.5 in contrast to the “wealthy” US, where our score is 46—right between Mexico and Argentina.

Economic stability

A job today is gone tomorrow; home and house gone, and the family is on the street at the end of the month. The Dot-com bust ended the “stock market for everyone” days of the 1990s. Since 1980, “Merger Mania” has ended endless numbers of jobs and wiped out communities in the search for quick corporate profits.

The Great Recession and global pandemic showed how the stock market, which isn’t the economy, has disastrous effects on the economy and rarely has good effects. Used as a convenient excuse for politicians who want to eliminate government spending, austerity both deepens and prolongs recessions.

New generations look at industry and don’t want any part of it. They may surrender to it, but most would prefer to be their own bosses, entrepreneurs with their own businesses. That way their income is more secure than with the vicissitudes of business.

While the US thinks of itself as the leading powerhouse in the world, it’s not in the top ten of the most stable economies. List of world’s top 10 stable economies released, these countries…, US, China, and India are not even in Top 10.

Productivity and time off from workforce

The US prides its productivity and often cites granting more time off as something likely to lower productivity. Productivity looks at the number of GDP dollars produced by each person. Like that means anything but pride.

Where does the US stand in the world? It is not found in the top ten. But Norway and Ireland hold top spots. Productivity is keyed to newer manufacturing methods and machines. The US is behind.

Paid time off

Countries with the most total paid time off, combining paid vacation days and public holidays, include Iran and Yemen, while Cambodia, Iran, and Vietnam have the most public holidays. Other countries known for generous paid time off include Austria, France, and Sweden, which offer a significant number of combined paid days off each year. Once again, the US is not in the top ten.

Work-related child care and parental leave

As the wealthiest country, can the US lead in work-related child care and parental leave for childbirth? The US ranks 40th among wealthy nations, almost dead last. Parental leave with full pay? Again, the US ranks dead last because it doesn’t have any.

Where Do Rich Countries Stand on Childcare? Assessing the parental leave and childcare policies in 41 high-income countries using the most recent comparable data

Cost of Living and Standard of Living

Does the cost of living in the US justify our high wages? Countries with some of the highest wages that afford a high quality of life include Switzerland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and Ireland. While other countries may have a low cost of living, these nations often balance high incomes with strong infrastructure and stability to provide a truly high standard of living. Even India outranks the US

Ranked: Countries With The Highest And Lowest Average Salaries, 2025

What makes a country livable?

A truly “livable wage” goes beyond just a high salary; it must also consider the cost of living in that country. Some countries that are often cited for offering a high quality of life, and therefore a more livable wage, include those with:

Strong Infrastructure: Well-developed transportation, healthcare, and communication systems.
Economic Stability: A stable economy reduces the risk of sudden price increases or job losses.
Good Social Benefits: Access to affordable education, healthcare, and social welfare programs.
High Average Salaries: A sufficient income to comfortably afford basic necessities and some discretionary spending.
Low Cost of Living: This is the other side of the equation, as a high salary in a very expensive country may not be as “livable” as a slightly lower salary in a more affordable one.

The US is among the top three in highest cost of living countries, which offsets our high wages and leaves other factors like economic stability and social benefits as the deciding factors in determining how great we are. Due to the high cost of living and less comprehensive social safety net compared to the high-ranking nations, the US often falls outside the top 10 in quality-of-life rankings that combine these factors.

Cost of Living by Country 2025.

Cost of living by Country.

Housing costs

Yay! The US is in the top three in lower cost housing!

House-price-to-income ratio in selected countries worldwide in 2024, by country.

Health and Well-being

How does the medical system in the US, rated on quality (outcomes), accessibility, and affordability, compare to other countries?

One thing that makes comparison difficult is that most wealthy nations achieve universal coverage through public or hybrid systems, while the US relies on a predominantly private, voluntary system. We already know the US spends significantly more but yields worse health outcomes and greater inequity.

One of the reasons is because the US spends 30% more per person than the next closest country in spending. The US spends three times as much on administration than the next highest spending nation.

Does this excess spending make us all better in the end? Nope. We rank very low in life expectancy, infant mortality, unmanaged diabetes, heart attack mortality, and safety during childbirth.

How Does the US Healthcare System Compare to Other Countries?

Life Expectancy

We marvel at those living into their hundreds. But for many, their bodies are used up long before that time, especially for those doing strenuous jobs. The numbers are a little tricky. For example, the life expectancy around the world has steadily increased through the 20^th and 21^st Centuries.

The average and the mode are substantially different. Average life expectancy, brought down by early deaths, is around 78 years. But most people live until around age 87, and then the death rate plummets. Obesity is now the greatest obstacle to extending life. Dumb, fat, and happy are keys to an early death. Maybe it’s worth it?

More important than just quantity of life is quantity plus quality. Healthy life expectancy (HLE) refers to the average number of years a person is expected to live in good health, without significant disability or chronic disease. It is a measure of both longevity and quality of life. The US is below the average for high-income countries.

Environmental quality (influencing health)

Since the 1950s, the US has used regulations to move cities with the thick smog of smoke and pollution in the air to ones where you can see the sky. But how do we compare with other nations?

Finland, Norway, Luxembourg, Germany, and Switzerland consistently rank high for their natural environment, air quality, water, and sanitation, according to InterNations. The US ranks in the middling range, not quite reaching 50%.

When it comes to ranking the most polluting nations of the world, the US stands tall at number two. Only China creates more pollution than the US, so the US looks to China as the benchmark. When it comes to CO2, the global warming driver, we’re in league with India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Methane is much worse than CO2 for polluting. Here, the US is also among the top polluters, which include China, India, the United States, Russia, and Brazil. The major causes of methane leaks include livestock and fossil fuel extraction and use. “Gimme those beef steaks, burn that coal and oil, and drive those big fuel-hog pickups. We can’t give them up.”

While there has been exponential growth in the US of electric cars, a lower fuel efficiency in trucks means more carbon dioxide is released per mile. Medium and large trucks, which make up only one in ten vehicles on the road, are responsible for 58% of ozone-forming nitrogen oxides and 52% of fine particulate matter from on-road vehicles.

It’s a race against time whether we will die of old age or problems brought on by pollution. As a nation, we don’t seem to care unless we’re among new generations who are thinking why don’t we do something before the rising water drowns us, or the fires kill us, or the droughts make us die in three days for lack of water, or environmental pollutions get us, or our ineffective but costly health care systems fails to save us. I wonder what makes newer generations think like this? Maybe older generations should ask them.

The US medical system consistently ranks last among other high-income countries in overall performance, despite having the highest per capita (per person) spending.

Happiness

Does the US have an ideal stating maybe happiness isn’t important? Maybe just working to earn a living is important? Suck it up and die right. What’s really important is raising your children, freedom, religious and political ideology that tells you which community you’re part of? Everything else is just trivial?

Many can’t buy into this ideal. A 2020 Commonwealth Fund report stated the US had the highest suicide rate among wealthy nations, with 14 deaths per 100,000.

It’s true from studies of rich to poor around the world that money doesn’t bring happiness. It’s also true that not having a sufficient living to maintain life makes people very unhappy, so money does play a role.

Where is the US in this? With the US middle financial class hollowed out, it’s also true that the US has a deep-seated and widespread anxiety about having enough money.

“Between bills to pay, tariff news, and inflation worries, money is living rent-free in Americans’ minds. They’re spending nearly four hours a day on average thinking about it, according to new research from Empower, a financial services company.”
“They’re spending nearly four hours a day on average thinking about it, according to new research from Empower, a financial services company.”
– ‘A part-time job’: Americans spend nearly 4 hours a day thinking about money.

Many say it is their top source of stress, ranking higher than work, family, or health. In 2025, one survey found that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans experienced financial anxiety.

Financial stress doesn’t bring happiness.

In ranking countries around the world on happiness, on a scale where most are in the 6.6 to 7.4 range, wouldn’t the US with its little problems rank high? No, the US ranks low again, at 6.72, while Mexico ranks in the higher numbers. Canada, the U.K., the U.A.E., and Ireland all rank above the US Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and even Costa Rica, rank highest.

Let’s all move to Mexico and make them miserable. It’s a shorter trip than to Iceland, where nearly everything is frozen.

Education

What if you could go to college for $450.00 a year or free? Many countries offer free or inexpensive tuition to their citizens, and even discounted tuition to nonresidents, at their state universities. These countries include most European countries, Brazil, and Mexico.

Amazingly, completely free Ph.D. programs are offered in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, and Sweden at their state universities.

In comparison, US college tuition is among the highest in the world. In-state students at a four-year public university paid an average of $11,260 in tuition and fees. I should note that community college, which can cover the first two years, and sometimes offers four-year degrees (Bachelor’s) in high-demand fields like nursing or teaching, usually has tuition at around a tenth the cost of four-year colleges. And since community colleges are close to home, students save on living expenses.

The ridiculously high cost of a four-year university education includes $13,310 to $14,406 per year for living expenses (housing and food) and $3,500 to $4,800 or more for transportation, books, and personal expenses, and including tuition makes a four-year degree cost over $57,000.00. The average debt for a Master’s degree is around $64,000.00. Six years of college works out to a very minimum of $121,000.00. That’s a house payment.

This exorbitant price makes many people look at whether it is worth it, and since the answer is more often, “No,” many colleges are closing. The US is a service economy, so trade schools and being an entrepreneur are more realistic.

How effective is US education?

Once again not in the top ten, the US ranks 34^th among countries in average test scores. Even Vietnam has higher scores. We pay huge amounts for an education. We sit on our laurels (past achievements) while other countries pass us by, content and complacent in the belief we are the best and no other country can surpass us. They already have.

A majority of people in the US, 73% according to a recent Gallup Poll, believe the education system needs major reform.

We got here by a group of governors deciding what people need to learn to fill jobs. It was billed as the focus on “the three Rs: Readin’, Ritin’, and ‘Rithmetic.” Since states don’t like to fund education well, many things went out the window, such as music, which has been shown to enhance math skills in which the US is really low compared to the rest of the world.

With low pay, quality teachers leave the profession. Many teachers have found the administrative side of teaching overburdens them and is endlessly changing. Many even have to fund their own student supplies or not have them.

Funding in various countries: European countries collect around 4.9% of GDP to fund colleges, while the US collects around 1.3% of GDP in overall taxes.

Only 7% to 10% of the US defense budget would support free college tuition for all US students. We have to ask if blowing up the world is that valuable?

How the US educational system got into this sad state compared to the rest of the world is the result of bad decisions made by policymakers from a complacent attitude about education. We are at the point that studies show new generations of college-age or older people would rather have the Internet than a four-year degree and be entrepreneurs.

We need to understand that for students going into the sciences, STEM programs are essential. But these aren’t for everyone except for understanding the basics of life. Employers want soft skills just as much as related work competencies. Soft skills include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability, and leadership. Key skills valued across many industries include strong communication, the ability to collaborate, critical thinking, a positive work ethic, and a willingness to continuously learn and adapt to new technologies and challenges.

We don’t focus on any of the necessary soft skills for work in our educational system, let alone for life skills. Other countries teach things like compassion and conflict resolution. Together with critical thinking, these skills could revolutionize the US It could end the divisiveness that plagues us.

Work-life Balance

Despite not being in the top ten in productivity, and the US “race to the bottom” in all categories, the US has a significantly worse work-life balance compared to many other developed countries, ranking low on multiple indices like the OECD Better Life Index and consistently placing among the worst for work-life balance in global reports.

Americans work longer average hours, take fewer vacation days, and lack the generous paid leave, flexible policies, and universal healthcare found in many European countries with better work-life integration.

We have to ask ourselves if we could develop just a little more slowly, and put a little more money into our own care.

Career Mobility

In general, the US ranks among the top countries in terms of career mobility. Want a better job? You can get one. With the exception that it ranks lower than other countries for those with low economic status. If your parents are poor in the US, it’s likely you will stay that way, but in other countries, you are more likely to move up.

Denmark, Norway, Finland, Canada, France, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are all countries in which if you are born to poor parents, you still have a good chance of moving up economically.

Why does the US lag behind? Money. The difference is influenced by several factors: the US tax system, unequal education funding, the strength of the social safety net, high income and wealth inequality, and geographical segregation. About this, as a society, we’re complacent as long as we get ours.

Research and Development, and Innovation (R&D&I)

Research, Development, and Innovation are the job creators. Major industries are net job destroyers. They use mergers to acquire technologies and markets and reduce employees to keep their stock rising. Middle-size companies prefer to stay just as they are. It’s safe.

Entrepreneurs and other small companies are the source of research, innovation, and jobs. So this is very important to the economy.

Removing the defense sector reveals that the US lags behind several nations in government R&D intensity. Countries like Austria and Germany invest significantly more in federal R&D, and a hypothetical 20% cut to US federal R&D could drop its ranking to 21^st, behind countries like Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The business sector funds over 60% of US R&D. In 2022, US firms spent the most on R&D in advanced industries compared to the next nine leading nations. However, when controlling for GDP, the US drops to fifth place, behind countries like Switzerland and Taiwan..

In the US, investment in R&D is believed by many in government to be the role of the private sector. Many believe the US government should play no part in it, which is one reason the US lags behind in this category.

The exception is for defense spending. Spending on things like NASA and ARPA brought us useful products such as the Internet, GPS, scratch-resistant lenses, memory foam, water filters, cordless vacuums, and freeze-dried food. Military spending has also contributed to drones, night vision, digital cameras, synthetic fabrics, jet engines, and walkie-talkies. Much advanced research is done through military-related companies and university grants.

The US is a mixed bag when it comes to R&D and innovation.

Global Responsibility & Existential Risk

What part should the US play in the world? Should we be the world’s policeman since we have a superior military? Should we work to limit or reverse world climate change? Should we help small nations adapt to climate change and share technology we develop to fight climate change? Should other nations trust the US?

Trust in the US

Trust is the foundation of all relationships. No trust, no working relationship.

Based on 2025 survey data, trust in the US government is low both domestically and internationally. A Partnership for Public Service survey from April 2025 found that only 33% of Americans trust the federal government, while 47% distrust it. 45% believe the federal government has a negative impact on the country, compared to 42% who say it’s positive. 67% agree the government is “corrupt,” and 61% believe it’s “wasteful.”

For some, any incident causing distrust ends a relationship. A lack of trust destroys a relationship. Any significant and unresolved breach of trust can be detrimental, leading to a decline in emotional connection, increased conflict, and eventual relationship failure. The destruction is more about the quality and duration of the distrust, as well as the willingness of both partners to address the issues.

With a divided Congress, there is no indication the US government is able to address the issue of trust. It has to be rebuilt over time with open and honest communications and positive interactions.

Trust in everything is eroding in the US because of our national divide. Americans today are more distrustful of each other than in previous decades. According to recent data from a Pew Research Center poll, approximately one-third (34%) of Americans believe that “most people can be trusted,” a figure that has held steady since 2018 but is a significant decline from the 46% reported in 1972.

This situation seems to be related to low incomes and low educational levels. In a recent Pew survey, 52% of those with a postgraduate degree said most people can be trusted, compared to only about a quarter of those with a high school diploma or less. Similarly, half of Americans with household incomes of $150,000 or more said most people can be trusted, whereas only one-in-five with incomes under $30,000 agreed.

Trust is also related to age. A recent Pew study showed that 44% of adults aged 65 and older believe most people can be trusted, compared to only 26% of those aged 18 to 29.

Political polarization, less social interaction, racial and ethnic diversity, geographical separation, social change, and new technology are things that generate distrust. Each new generation entering adulthood has been raised in a less trusting environment, creating a cycle where younger generations are less trusting than previous ones.

New generations, which I study, hold trust issues as most important. Differences are okay, but people must be genuine and transparent or they’re not trusted.

Trust from other nations

The President of the US is the leader when it comes to trust. Trust has declined among key US allies.

A June 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that majorities in many key US allied nations lack confidence in the president’s handling of world affairs. The survey also indicated that the US image has worsened in many countries. More than half of those polled in allied nations such as France, Germany, the U.K., South Korea, and Japan expressed low confidence in the US president’s leadership.

International confidence in US foreign policy can be impacted by inconsistent messaging and sudden policy shifts. Recent surveys also show that people in many nations now view China as more economically influential than the US, signaling growing competition for international influence.

The US prides itself as a shining light of democratic values. But concerns about the state of democracy in the US affect international perceptions. A Pew Research Center survey from June 2025 indicated that many allies, including Australia, Canada, and European nations, feel that democracy in the US is functioning poorly.

One of the major causes for concern among US allies is the US’s on-again, off-again support for Ukraine and NATO, and the tolerance of any harm Israel brings to its neighbors. Destroying the US AID agency removed support from many in dire need and opened the door for China to enter these countries and gain influence. Trade relationships have been badly damaged by tariffs, and in the US the economic destruction from tariffs in the form of price increases goes directly against the president’s pledge to lower prices. Prices have not gone down. Gerrymandering in multiple states has eroded public confidence in voting and in the governments that do them.

The appearance of corruption in the US Supreme Court and the Justice Department has eroded confidence. A Gallup poll from August 2025 found the Supreme Court’s job approval to be at a new low of 39%. Regarding the Justice Department, a November 2024 Forbes/Bowman Marsico poll found Americans split on their impression of the Justice Department, with 43% holding a favorable view and 43% an unfavorable one.

Apparently, it’s about politics and the political divide. In the most recent poll, just 28% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed a favorable view, a 27-point decrease from the previous year.

Two-thirds of Americans (67% ) surveyed in April 2025 agreed that the federal government is “corrupt.”

This feeling is becoming pervasive around the world. In the 2023 OECD survey, conducted across 30 countries, more people (44% ) reported low or no trust in their national government than those with high or moderately high trust (39%). European countries showed a broad range of views, from Sweden and other Nordic countries around 75% satisfaction to Greece at 19%.

The OECD identified several factors associated with low trust, including feeling a lack of political voice, economic insecurity, and dissatisfaction with how public officials balance different societal interests.

Northwestern University published results in 200 of its study of the impact of American opinion on US Congressional legislation. The study showed that The opinions of 90% of Americans have essentially no impact at all. A 2014 Princeton University study echoed these results showing that “Public opinion has ‘near-zero’ impact on US law.”

What does have influence? “Money. While the opinions of the bottom 90% of income earners in America have a ‘statistically non-significant impact,’ economic elites, business interests, and people who can afford lobbyists still carry major influence.”

Study: Congress literally doesn’t care what you think.

One reason for public distrust of government is states trying to overturn public ballot initiatives representatives don’t like, through legislation. In recent history, five state congresses have tried to thwart public initiatives.

Around the world, the US has shown that it has no respect for international agreements that it signed. If a president doesn’t like them for some inane reason, he just pulls out of the agreement.

The most existentially damaging agreement pull-out was the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change to try to limit it to 1.5∘, and the canceling of support for solar and wind energy in the US The thumbing its nose at environmental damage in the US and around the world while trying to increase climate-damaging fossil fuels has damaged trust in new generations to the point it may not be regained. The president and Congress may have lined their pockets with a few dollars but lost everything for themselves and everyone.

What Does the US Do for the World?

Most people want to feel they are making a contribution of their time, effort, talent, skill, money, etc., to others, especially those close to them. The Good Country Index measures what each country on Earth contributes to the common good of humanity, and what it takes away, relative to its size. Let’s see if we can find the US on the scales, and compare with Ireland.

United States and Ireland Ranking on The Good Country Index

US	Ireland
64^th	54^th	Science and Technology
84^th	24^th	Culture
149^th	2^nd	International Peace and Security
44^th	20^th	World Order
86^th	20^th	Planet and Climate
42^nd	14^th	Prosperity and Equality
10^th	24^th	Health and Wellbeing

How does Ireland beat the US in every category except Prosperity and Equality and Health and Wellbeing on the Good Country Index? Ireland ranked #1 in the Good Country Index because its overall contribution to the planet and human race was higher than any other country.

Not everything seems fair about the appraisals. The US prides itself in a strong military presence in the world securing peace. The US supplies special forces to other countries to monitor and train in missions to eliminate terrorists. The US tends to create allies to ensure stability in the world, even if those allies are not viewed as adhering to US and world values. Not every person and country around the world views positively all the US does.

The “International Peace and Security” domain specifically looks at how a country interacts with the rest of the world on issues of peace, looking at factors like external conflict, weapons exports, and contributions to international peace efforts. Low rankings in this category are a result of:

Low rankings in this category are a result of:

The US position as a leading global exporter of weapons contributed significantly to its low ranking. This is a negative factor for the “International Peace and Security” domain.
The country’s involvement in multiple external conflicts in a given year is a negative indicator for the index.
While the US contributes to UN peacekeeping, the overall amount relative to its large budget and economy is low compared to other nations’ contributions.

Perhaps the US should look at itself in the mirror. The unconditional support for Israel in Gaza has caused other nations and people within the US to look at the US with a grudging eye, and brings the world into needless contention.

Summary of Key Findings and Statistics

The Delusion of Supremacy: Economic and Social Gaps
The premise that the US is the “greatest country on Earth” is undermined by critical qualitative data across several domains:

Economic Inequality: The US has the world’s largest number of billionaires but ranks 13th in GDP per capita. Wealth inequality, measured by the Gini Coefficient, scores the US at 46 (between Mexico and Argentina), highlighting a severely hollowed-out middle class.

Income Security: The U.S. is not in the top ten for most stable economies, and the high cost of living (ranking among the top three globally) offsets high wages.

Work-Life Balance: The US is absent from the top ten in paid time off and ranks 40th among wealthy nations in parental leave, directly contributing to stress and poor quality of life.

Health, Happiness, and Existential Stress

Despite the highest per capita healthcare spending in the world, the US yields worse outcomes than most wealthy nations:
Health Outcomes: The US consistently ranks last among high-income countries in overall health system performance, ranking low in life expectancy and safety during childbirth. It spends three times as much on administration as the next highest spending nation.

Happiness and Anxiety: The US ranks low on the World Happiness Index (at 6.72), with 9 out of 10 Americans reporting significant financial anxiety and the nation having the highest suicide rate among wealthy nations.

Environmental Degradation:

The US ranks second globally in overall pollution (behind China) and is a top contributor to CO2 and methane pollution, demonstrating a clear failure to address existential risk that new generations view as critical.

Systemic Failures in Education and Opportunity

The US system fails to provide universally accessible opportunities, perpetuating inequality:

Education Costs: US four-year university tuition is among the highest in the world, contrasting sharply with the free or highly subsidized tuition offered across most of Europe and other nations. The minimum six-year college cost is over $121,000.00.

Educational Quality: The US ranks only 34th in average test scores globally, despite the high cost.

Career Mobility: While overall career mobility is high, the US ranks lower than peers like Denmark and Norway for citizens born to low economic status, demonstrating a strong link between poverty and generational immobility.

Global Standing and Eroding Trust

The US position as a world leader is severely compromised by a widespread lack of trust, both at home and abroad:

Domestic Distrust: A majority of Americans (67%) agree the federal government is “corrupt,” and only 33% of citizens trust it. This low trust is correlated with low income and education levels.

International Standing: The US ranks 64th overall on the Good Country Index, with low scores in Culture (149th) and International Peace and Security (44th), largely due to being a leading weapons exporter and political isolationism (e.g., pulling out of the Paris Agreement).

Democratic Deficit: Studies indicate that the opinions of the bottom 90% of Americans have “near-zero” impact on US law, while money and lobbyists carry major influence, eroding confidence in democracy both domestically and internationally.

Conclusion

The look in the mirror indicates an often shabby face we show to the world, while thinking we are above all others. We have a long way to go to be everything we can be.

The biggest challenge we have to overcome is trust. We need to trust each other as individuals, government, and business.

Without trust, we are mired in suspicion, seeing corruption and conflicting or malicious purpose behind every issue. We can’t move forward without trust, only backward.

We have to work together to conquer our challenges, or go into the dustbin of history like so many past great empires, our experience with democracy a preventable failure.

The second issue we have to confront is our attitude. We can’t be complacent and comfortable with where we are. We need to see our challenges and conquer them, just like the Greatest Generation did in WWII. We can do this.

The third issue is grappling with reality. Climate change is real. A near-unanimous scientific consensus exists that humans are the primary drivers of climate change, with studies finding consensus levels greater than 97% and even exceeding 99.9%. We’re the bad actors in our own movie and we just don’t want to see it, especially since we’re the highest polluting nation in the world after China.

We already see huge consequences in drought, wildfire, wind, hail, flooding, severe storms, and other effects. The US alone has lost $403 billion annually due to weather and climate disasters between 1980 and 2024, with projections estimating an average loss of 20% in incomes by 2050 as people grapple with yearly increases in home and auto insurance and other costs. We can’t afford climate change, but addressing it brings new jobs and income.

How long do we have? A landmark 2018 IPCC report indicated that humanity has only about a decade to limit warming to 1.5∘C to avoid catastrophic consequences, warning that consequences become baked into the planet’s systems without urgent, unprecedented changes. We are close to the tipping point where there is no return, only increasing damage.

We need to put ourselves on a WWII footing and become a great generation, conquering these challenges immediately.