Der Spiegel
Divided States of America Notes on the Decline of a Great Nation
By SPIEGEL Staff
The United States is frittering away its role as a model for the
rest of the world. The political system is plagued by an absurd level
of hatred, the economy is stagnating and the infrastructure is falling
into a miserable state of disrepair. On this election eve, many
Americans are losing faith in their country's future.
In the show, the audience reacts with shock, just as a real-life
American audience would. But the truth is that America has transformed
itself into a land of limited opportunities. In fact, that was the way
SPIEGEL referred to the United States in a 1979 cover story, when the US
economy had been hard-hit by the oil crisis.
But today's crisis is far more comprehensive, extending to the
social, political and spiritual realms. The worst thing about it is that
the country still refuses to engage in any debate over the reasons for
its decline. It seems as if many Americans today no longer want to talk
about how they can strengthen their union. Criticism is seen as a
betrayal of America's greatness.
But that notion of greatness leaves much to be desired. Other numbers
can be readily added to those rattled off by the protagonist in
Sorkin's "The Newsroom," and the results are sobering. For instance, the
United States is no longer among the world's top 10 countries when it
comes to the state of its infrastructure. In fact, it spends less than
Europe to maintain its roads and bridges, tunnels, train stations and
airports.
According to the US Federal Highway Administration, one in four of
the more than 600,000 bridges in the world's richest country are either
"inadequate" or outdated. According to some studies, the United States
would have to invest some $225 billion a year between now and 2050 to
regain an adequate, modern infrastructure. That's 60 percent more than
it invests today.
A Lack of Strength
It isn't hard to predict that this won't happen. The hatred of big
government has reached a level in the United States that threatens the
country's very existence. Americans everywhere may vow allegiance to the
nation and its proud Stars and Stripes, but when it comes time to pay
the bills and distribute costs, and when solidarity is needed, all sense
of community evaporates.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/divided-states-of-america-notes-on-the-decline-of-a-great-nation-a-865295.html
