The Current States of America

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Most of us know that America is one of, if not the most influential country in today’s world. We’re also the wealthiest and most powerful. But as the Roman and Greek Empires have shown us, such nations usually can’t remain in this position forever. So, assuming this will be our fate, when will it happen? When will we stop being “on top of the world?” Bob Herbert and Alan W. Dowd provide their own answers on the matter. Bob Herbert, columnist and professor of journalism, wrote about the current condition of America in “A Fire in the Basement,” an introduction to a collection of his editorials, Promises Betrayed: Waking up from the American Dream (2005). The “fire” he is referring to, is the idea that America is falling apart from the inside out, and we aren’t even aware of it. He suggests that our current state as a world power is in decline, and it’s not the terrorists we should be worried about. Rather, he gives examples showing that this decline will be the result of the growing inequality, irrationality, and the loss of hope within our nation. He states, “It’s not that life in America was better in the 1960’s. It wasn’t. But it seemed to be moving in a better direction” (396). In other words, we’ve lost a crucial part to what made us a great nation in the first place. If we don’t recover this hope and can-do spirit soon, we may be headed for a supporting role on the world stage. In Alan W. Dowd’s “The Decline and Fall of Declinism,” from The American, he contradicts what Herbert says by stating that the U.S. is in great shape. He coins the term “declinism” to describe similar theories of America’s downfall that have been heard over the past decades. “But the declinists were wrong yesterday,” he concludes, “And if their re... ... middle of paper ... ...ing America is leading the world economy and influencing countries in every corner of the world. However, he doesn’t look at the situation as realistically as he could. He doesn’t mention the many unemployed or the corruption that takes place among those in power. In sum, then, both articles make good points, although only telling part of the story. I think the U.S. should pay more attention to what’s happening within the country before trying to fix too much outside of it. At the same time, though, we shouldn’t feel as though doomsday will soon be upon us. Even if America’s days as a world power are numbered, our country will still go on. We can take an example from the former powers like Great Britain and Greece, look at how they’ve survived, and we can take comfort in the fact that, as for now, our position in front doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

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