Looking at the rest of the world, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the United States is a superpower in decline. Aspiring countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East now hold major roles in the global economy, while sometimes ignoring and fighting against the wishes of the U.S.
President Donald Trump and his policies are the main cause for this decline. However, accusations of — ”he’s racist,” “he’s sexist” and “he’s anti-Muslim” — simply don’t cut it anymore. Above all, his inexperience in public office have changed the world in a truly terrible way.
Rather than “Making America Great,” he has further isolated and weakened America as a whole. Whether it’s dissolving important and necessary trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership or pulling out of the Paris Climate agreement, President Trump’s short temper and “America first” policy have regressed the U.S. on the world stage.
Although entertaining at times, Trump will often also hurl insults and fire off angry tweets without warning, creating a great deal of animosity against the U.S. When he disparages France or chews out Australia’s prime minister, he creates conflict with long-time allies and weakens America’s leverage in the world.
Trump’s style of addressing problems forces other government officials to clean up his blunders. Earlier this year, defense secretary James Mattis was forced to publicly assure Iraqis that the U.S. wouldn’t seize their oil, as Trump had suggested. Often times, the anger created by Trump’s inflammatory remarks is extremely hard to assuage, making it so that America is seen as unreliable and even problematic.
The president has made inadequate efforts to alleviate concerns over low wages, unemployment, health care, border security and corruption. These are systems America must repair soon or risk having its living of standard decrease.
One of the biggest factors of America’s downturn is the regression of the country’s education system. Results from PISA, a worldwide study done by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, indicate that the U.S. ranks 24th out of 71 countries in reading and below average in math, behind countries including Japan, South Korea, France and the United Kingdom in both categories.
Even though education is also touted as an equal and effective way to provide opportunities for poor and middle class children, the opportunities they’re being given are often less than ideal.
Americans lack in education and are unskilled compared to the many competing foreign workers, particularly in fields relating to science and technology.
Health care in the U.S. also continues to lack when compared to other developed nations. Many large countries, such as Canada, Germany and Australia, have already established a universal health care system. The Canadian system praised for maintaining equal treatment for both the wealthy and poor, covering all essential basic care except for mental health. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Trump has repeatedly recently of refused to provide crucial funding to help the poorest citizens obtain reasonably priced health care — a spiteful move aimed at undoing Obamacare at any cost and one that will surely hurt many of the very people who put him in the Oval Office.
At this point, the U.S. must accept the consequences as it continues to fall behind other industrialized countries. The U.S. cannot bully other countries into submission the way Trump seems to believe; it needs to consider other methods to strengthen American society as a whole.
Perhaps the solution lies in Congress. By fighting Trump’s policies, Congress can help limit the damage done to the reputation and influence of the U.S. For instance, even though Trump recently decertified the Iran nuclear deal, Congress has been trying to salvage it and in so doing provide the kind of competent leadership that the top office is now lacking.
