USA -> Better and Worse...

[Michael Hardner]

Doesn't fit in 'politics' per se, but still these are American stats. I don't mean to say there's anything here that doesn't necessarily apply to Canada too - I'm sure many of these do apply to Canada.

AMERICAN INDICATORS: THINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AND THINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN WORSE

The Review has long kept track of objectivity measures of improvement and decay in American society. We have reorganized this list by decade. Details and sources

THINGS THAT HAVE IMPROVED

Record levels

Longevity

Since the 1990s

Women owned businesses

Latinos elected to office

Crime rates

Executions

Since the 1980s

Assets of families

Since the 1970s

Percent of blacks in college

Since the 1960s

Public approval of black-white marriages

Since the 1950s

Fatal motor accidents

Suicide rate

Heart disease

Infant mortality

Since the 1940s

Taxes

THINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN WORSE

Record levels

Percent of homeowners behind on mortgage sets record

Percentage of Americans using food stamps

Housing starts

Trust in government

Average temperature

Since the 1990s

Consumer credit debt

Child poverty levels

Marijuana arrests

Summer employment for teens

Small businesses that provide health plans

Childhood mortality global rank

US share of world tourist market

Since the 1980s

Personal bankruptcies

Unemployment

Number in prison

Middle class debt

Time children spend playing

Increase in wealth of ten richest senators

Number of workers with defined pension plans

Number of black owned TV stations

Decline in number of corporations controlling most media

Defined pension plans

Income of richest Americans compared to average

Housing foreclosures

Foreign debt

Number of problem banks

Student loan debt

Per capita spending on prisons vs. schools

Percent of people in prison on drug charges

Number of friends as reported by Americans in survey

Police SWAT team deployments

Number of American adults attending arts and cultural events

Since the 1970s

Real income of the bottom of Americans

Top one percent share of all income

Ratio of CEO's pay to that of average workers

Mortgage delinquency percentage

Number of public hospitals down

Infection rate in hospitals

Percent with no health insurance

Since the 1960s

Births to unwed mothers

Childhood obesity

Decline in teachers who eat lunch with students

Decline in number of public elementary schools

Since the 1950s

The net worth of American households

Annual person savings rate for families

Ratio of the average executive's paycheck to the average worker's

Since the 1940s

Worst job creation for decade

Since the 1930s

Real unemployment

source

We do need more of this kind of thing. I didn't look at the individual sources, but I'm sure we can all do that together....

[M.Dancer]

[Michael Hardner]

I enjoyed that too.

[bush_cheney2004]

Doesn't fit in 'politics' per se, but still these are American stats. I don't mean to say there's anything here that doesn't necessarily apply to Canada too - I'm sure many of these do apply to Canada.

Interesting, but hardly objective and without political bias. Kinda like this....better or worse?

1970's

Men walked on the Moon

1990's

No Men (or Women) walked on the Moon.

[Michael Hardner]

Interesting, but hardly objective and without political bias. Kinda like this....better or worse?

1970's

Men walked on the Moon

1990's

No Men (or Women) walked on the Moon.

Well, yes. It comes from the 'progressive review' and I'm sure the authors had their conclusions in mind as they started to put this together. Still, there's enough in hear to be interesting even if partisan.

[bush_cheney2004]

Well, yes. It comes from the 'progressive review' and I'm sure the authors had their conclusions in mind as they started to put this together. Still, there's enough in hear to be interesting even if partisan.

That's fine except for this: "The Review has long kept track of objectivity measures of improvement and decay in American society."

"Improvement and decay" and "better or worse" are subjective conclusions, when all that can be accurately stated is that there are differences, often by design (e.g. "Food Stamps" and WIC programs).

Better or worse...it's still the USA.

[Michael Hardner]

Better or worse...it's still the USA.

Especially worse.

[bush_cheney2004]

Especially worse.

Compared to what...and when?

[Jack Weber]

The era of American Exceptionalism and Manifest Destiny are essentially over because the United Sates is in decline and its "empire" is coming to an end,as all empires do.

I don't say this with any sense of happiness because I see this as the beginning of a turning away from democracy and a re-embracing of totalitariian,crypto-Fascist(see China) ways of thinking...

[Peter F]

I Love it!

[Shwa]

I would dispute this though:

THINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN WORSE

Record levels

Sure record levels have gotten worse, but they don't correlate with the levels of first 8-track, then cassettes and ulitmately CD's. I mean if we consider CDs to be "records" then I think there has actually been an increase.

[Michael Hardner]

Compared to what...and when?

Worse, it's still the USA. Better, it's clearly the USA.

[bush_cheney2004]

Worse, it's still the USA. Better, it's clearly the USA.

Best, you're still talking about the USA!

[Michael Hardner]

Best, you're still talking about the USA!

And we wont' stop...

[bush_cheney2004]

And we wont' stop...

...priceless!

[Michael Hardner]

...priceless!

When we're ten times your size, you can talk about us.

Or... how about this ? Hollywood isn't America, but yet Americans love to talk about Hollywood. It's your own domestic foreign countries.

[bush_cheney2004]

When we're ten times your size, you can talk about us.

I guess the US is all you have...not much love for an even larger China? It's not clear to me why a better and worse America figures into your social metric(s), but clearly it is important at some level.

Or... how about this ? Hollywood isn't America, but yet Americans love to talk about Hollywood. It's your own domestic foreign countries.

Not sure what you intended here....Hollywood is in California, a US state.

[Oleg Bach]

Thing are going to continue to decay - all empires rise and fall...and all empires need a base..a bottom to a pyramid. The problem is that the "stimulas" money that has been sent our willy nilly - is NOT going to take care of the core or foundation of the nation - which is the common person..The stimulas money just maintains an entiled status quo and NONE of this cash will have a trickle down effect as some assume. ALL big bucks go to the big dogs just as designed. Obama would not be president of he did not pledge to maintain and further the status quo..which he is doing in a very shrewd way...BUT in time it will all come to a stand still...a house is only as strong and stable as it's servants...and when the servants are weak..the house falls.

[Michael Hardner]

I guess the US is all you have...not much love for an even larger China? It's not clear to me why a better and worse America figures into your social metric(s), but clearly it is important at some level.

If we lived beside China and spoke Chinese, we'd be Chinada instead of Canusa.

You are the cute elephant next door, don't be continually surprised that we talk about you.

Not sure what you intended here....Hollywood is in California, a US state.

California, a US state ? Ok. I can buy that. Hollywood ? It's a planet of its own, and they even named a restaurant as such.

[dre]

...priceless!

No idea why you always go on about this.... acting like its somehow unusual for the US to be a common point of reference.

The US is essentially the nation-state equivalent of Paris Hilton, and Lindsey Lohan. If you dont want the attention then quit jumping up and down screaming "LOOK AT ME!!! LOOK AT ME!!!".

[bush_cheney2004]

If we lived beside China and spoke Chinese, we'd be Chinada instead of Canusa.

You are the cute elephant next door, don't be continually surprised that we talk about you.

I'm not surprised anymore, having come to a complete understanding of how America figures so prominently in your universe. It matters...a lot...for reasons that I could never relate to.

California, a US state ? Ok. I can buy that. Hollywood ? It's a planet of its own, and they even named a restaurant as such.

Yes, but it's just another place that begins with an "H"....same as Huntsville, Alabama.

Edited September 22, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Michael Hardner]

I'm not surprised anymore, having come to a complete understanding of how America figures so prominently in your universe. It matters...a lot...for reasons that I could never relate to.

No, nor could you. Imagine going to another country and knowing as much about that country as a typical citizen. ( Please don't quiz me about your state capitals in response to this. )

If you think it's weird in Canada, how about France, Croatia, or the poorer and more remote countries who grew up watching Bugs Bunny, and Sylvester Stallone.

Yes, but it's just another place that begins with an "H"....same as Huntsville, Alabama.

Or Hammasville.

[bush_cheney2004]

No, nor could you. Imagine going to another country and knowing as much about that country as a typical citizen. ( Please don't quiz me about your state capitals in response to this. )

Maybe....eventually you would miss a beat...like the previous "Disneyland" vs. "Disney World" hiccup noted by American Woman.

If you think it's weird in Canada, how about France, Croatia, or the poorer and more remote countries who grew up watching Bugs Bunny, and Sylvester Stallone.

Yes, I get all that, and obviously cannot fathom such an experience personally....except for maybe The Avengers and Beatles Movies. It's not so much that it's "weird", but how does a Canadian reconcile the media version with reality? Most Americans live pretty much the same way as you.

Edited September 22, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Michael Hardner]

Maybe....eventually you would miss a beat...like the previous "Disneyland" vs. "Disney World" hiccup noted by American Woman.

I'd never 'blend in'... at least not right away. It would take me at least 1/2 a year to get all my 'oots' out.

Yes, I get all that, and obviously cannot fathom such an experience personally....except for maybe The Avengers and Beatles Movies. It's not so much that it's "weird", but how does a Canadian reconcile the media version with reality? Most Americans live pretty much the same way as you.

Most Americans are like Canadians, though many Canadians deny that. My American urban friends are far more like me than my Canadian rural friends... and vice versa... well you get the picture.

And you have to visit the US to differentiate between the US version of the US and the real version of the US.

[bush_cheney2004]

....And you have to visit the US to differentiate between the US version of the US and the real version of the US.

Which brings us right back to Better and Worse.....depends on which "version" of the US we are talking about.