The Greatest Country on Earth!

What does it mean to be the greatest country on earth?

How do all the other countries in the world live with their failure to be #1?

When Haitians, or Irish, or Kenyans look in the mirror, do they feel diminished because they’re not #1?

When you look in the mirror, do you feel blessed and exalted because you live in the greatest country on earth?

Can you see my American flag lapel pin?  Or the American flag tattooed across my forehead?

Why must there be a ‘greatest’ at all?

Does being the ‘greatest’ get you more peace, calm, joy and $ in your day-to-day life?

Is it even true that the USA is the greatest nation on earth?

We used to be for the 40 yrs after WWII.  But was that because we were so great or that the rest of the world was so torn up?  Now, as the rest of the world catches up with us, are we still looking so great? 

Aren’t we the same as we’ve always been, kind, generous, and compassionate to those who think like us, look like us and behave like us.  Aren’t we the same hypocrites we’ve always been, preaching democracy while Republicans in 30 states work furiously to restrict the right to vote.  Yes, we have a Black President, but our Republican brothers and sisters are working furiously, tirelessly and with a discipline Democrats can only dream of, to undo that mistake.

Can we see that concept of #1 and the greatest is a problem and doesn’t work?  Lovers of unbridled, survival of the fittest competition say having a #1 is motivational.  Perhaps it is, but is unbridled, survival of the fittest competition the best way to go, the way that will build a world that works for everyone and everything in it?  No. 

By definition, unbridled, survival of the fittest competition, only works for the winners and makes everybody else losers.  Does it make sense in today’s interdependent, interconnected world to have billions of losers and a few million winners?  And what are we going to do with all those losers – concentration camps, permanent serfdom, send ‘em to Mars? Take a hard look at the concept of being the greatest, check out the facts and see it the dominance of this concept is working for us, has ever worked for us.

USA!  USA!  USA!  Right now the only things we’re #1 at are: number of people incarcerated as a percentage of population, and the size or our military.  For a people who say they believe in freedom and justice, aren’t those great things to be #1 in?

Let’s give up the need to be the greatest country on earth, quit lying to ourselves about it and get on with making our ideals a reality.  We can do it!  We can have our cake and eat it, too.  But we’ve got to dump the bull shit and get real!  It’s a different world, but we’ve still got a unique place in it and a unique contribution to make.  Let’s quit fighting with each other about illusions and lies perpetuated by those benefitting from the status quo and come together to realize our potential as individuals and as a nation to make a contribution to a world that works for everyone and everything in it.