Thought from the outside:

The planet is in a rather average state as a place to live right now. Technology is great. We have the internet, global news, streaming entertainment and the ability to work and educate our kids all from home.
We have the ability to produce Vaccines, new drugs and provide new cures on almost a daily basis.
And we continue to soil and degrade the only planet we have in the name of profit, while printing meaningless money.
But every nation has that issue.
A few nations have other troubles. Sectarian violence, intolerance, inequity, racial hatred and political corruption. Thats the human condition it seems.
Most nations and people aspire to a leader. Many look to America as the Emerald City. The dream.. But just lately.....................
As bad as I believed things would get in America (and much of that is still to show through the cracks) I never believed that the slightest possibility of Civil War mark 2, would ever happen. And yet here we are with regular military personel facing off against bearded beergutted moutainfolk and screaming ignorant "Karens".
At this point is doesnt matter who wins. The very fact that you are fighting each other, rather than working together to defeat a virus, a broken economy, and a corrupt political system has already decided for you. America the world leader is over. The world is turning its back and every one of you bears responsibility for trashing the American dream in favour of self interest.
(So long and thanks for the help with WW2)
😷

Really · 80-89, M

Good post, MaskedMan. I just balk a bit when you call the the non-US world the 'outside.' Americans are the outsiders, a tiny minority and need to be continually reminded of it....

"[i]look ma, they're all out of step but our Jim.[/i]"

OK I know that the rest of the world may be not far behind but still ....

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@Really Yes. I absolutely agree. But this forum has a majority population of Americans and its them I am addressing. And due to the Lousy state of the US media, specially Rupert Murdochs contribution, no one tells them any different. So few travel. Try telling them their health care system sucks or their higher education system is designed to keep the elite at the top or that their environmental system, law enforcement, political set up, or even cell phone service are anything but first rate and there are howls of anguish. Over all the place is still pretty good. Compared to Honduras. But lets keep that between us, shall we? They will only get upset and some of them are nice enough people, sometimes.😷