Here in the US, ethnocentrism is rampant. That is the notion that we are better than everyone else. This applies particularly to Republicans. They use it to justify the wars they started in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the wars they want to start in Iran, Syria, and anywhere a progressive government is blocking exploitation by US companies. The truth is, we are number one in GDP, but that’s all.
"The Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013,” by the World Economic Forum, is the latest annual ranking of 144 countries, on a wide range of factors related to global economic competitiveness.
On each of their many rankings, #1 represents the best nation, and #144 represents the worst nation.
Gross Domestic Product is the only factor where the U.S. ranks as #1, which we do both on "GDP” and on “GDP as a Share of World GDP.”
Health Care has the U.S. ranking #34 on “Life Expectancy,” and #41 on “Infant Mortality.”
Education in the U.S. is also mediocre. On “Quality of Primary Education,” we are #38. On “Primary Education Enrollment Rate,” we are #58. On “Quality of the Educational System,” we are #28. On “Quality of Math and Science Education,” we are #47. On “Quality of Scientific Research Institutions,” we are #6. On “PCT [Patent Cooperation Treaty] Patent Applications [per-capita],” we are #12. On “Firm-Level Technology Absorption” (which is an indicator of business-acceptance of inventions), we are #14… [emphasis added]
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A solution here requires no rocket science. Instead of blowing our own horn, we simply need to look at what the leaders are doing in areas where we lag behind, and do what they are doing.
19 Responses to “We’re Number One… NOT!”
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"A solution here requires no rocket science. Instead of blowing our own horn, we simply need to look at what the leaders are doing in areas where we lag behind, and do what they are doing."
To do this requires a properly functional brain which means the thinking processes are not distorted in any way. RepublicanTs are not capable of doing so.
Welcome to the "dumbing down of America" brought to you by GW.
Couldnt say it better– That The present day GOP even exists much less is able to make so much noise and instigate war and disasters should tell us all we need to know about the stupidity of our elected representatives–
Patty, my only disagreement is that, if Republicans were not making good progress in dumbing down the US electorate, GW would never gotten close enough to steal either election.
I think that the entire Republican Party should have to participate on the show "Are you smarter than a fifth grader". I am pretty sure they would all lose.
LMAO!! I think they would lose even if you dropped the age to a first grader!
Reducing it to nursery school opponants might be more fair.
I've known for some time the health care in this country has been lacking… I visited friends in Canada and was envious when I rode to Quebec and witnessed the outstanding treatment received via their health care system…
Thank you Richard! I am so tired of hearing a lot of negatives about the Canadian healthcare system from Americans. I know these naysayers have no idea what they are talking about, and are likely Republican/Teabaggers based on their talking points. Any system has its pluses and minuses, And here there are some differences between provinces, but on the whole it is a good system and everybody is taken care of. And abortions are available (legal) in Canada so the medical system backs that up too.
Thanks again Richard! You made my day!
I agree. Most of the negativity we hear about Cabadian health care comes from Republicans lying to protect Big Insurance.
USA! USA! USA!
We happen to be #1 in LOTS of things … it's just that most of them are things you do NOT want to be #1.
Lists of being #1 in The Bad and The Ugly:
http://www.timws.com/number1/number1.html
[Please Note: I truly believe America's a damn good place to live! I'm just open to the realization that there are OTHER damn good places to live, too.]
Thanks Nameless. Great lists!
Eye-opening list!
Thanks Nameless.
I would propose, for your consideration, both the movie and the book, "The Ugly American," read or watch it, think about how things really haven't changed all that much, and contemplate how we can do better. Like Nameless, I agree that the U.S. is, with all it's faults, still a pretty good place to live. Having said that, I must also admit that we have done and are still doing many unconsciounable things in the world to the point where the rest of the world regards us as an international bully empowered by our over-empowered, over-funded and over-indulged military. I don't really care to continually either apologize for or try to conceal the fact that I'm an American when I travel abroad.
John, the Westminster Presbytery of the United Church of Canada was looking for a youth leader a number of years ago and the winning candidate was a lady from the Chicago area. I was her representative on the supervision committee and became friends with her. I don't think she lasted a year, but my memory is fuzzy because that was close to 20 years ago. She very quickly ran into trouble, not so much with the kids, but definitely with the various congregations. Of course I was the one who had to talk with her. She was always saying "in Chicago we did . . ." or "in Chicago we found that … worked." What I tried to tell her is that Canadians are culturally very distinct from Americans , even though it may not seem so to her. I suggested she say "what if we tried .. . ." and leave out the American references. She didn't and she ended up leaving. In explaining things to her, I said there are many fine people in the US (had I known you guys then I coulld have given specific examples) but the US national image as the "we're the best" with its implied "screw the rest of you" and image as an 'international bully' were what set people off. So she mentioning "in Chicago we …" was rubbing their noses in that image.
Some Americans when they travel abroad wear Canadian pins or carry a Canadian flag on a bag because of that image. Although I think that is largely over since Harper came to power. Nobody should apologise for where they were born or live. After all, how much control did they have. I guess it comes down to help fix what you can and be proud.
John, I read the Ugly American in the 6th grade, and it inspired me to start questioning American ethnocentrism. Had I not read that book, I might not have become an activist. I fully agree with Lynn.
TC — "Instead of blowing our own horn, we simply need to look at what the leaders are doing in areas where we lag behind, and do what they are doing."
In business, we refer to this as "Best Practices". What are others doing that gets the kinds of results we want and pay homage to them by copying, amending as necessary to fit some differing factors.
On a different note but still about being #1, I was at a seminar this evening on food, food choices and wellness put on by my chiropractor. One of the slides showed where the US was indeed #1. Unfortunately, the US would prefer, as any country would, to be #30 on this list of 30 countries. The US is #1 in obesity rates. Canada was #7. I can't remember who #30 was but France was #22. Between the US and Canada were Luxembourg, the UK and Australia plus a couple of others I can't remember.
And in Congress 90% of the fat is between the ears!
America lost her edge a few decades ago, when education was watered down to reflect critical areas of interest such as basket weaving while eliminating the study of mathematics, and the hard sciences. We should be ashamed and embarrassed.
Mike, I fully agree. The focus has become teaching what to think, not how to think.