Michael Hardner Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 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.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.Dancer Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 I enjoyed that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 Better or worse...it's still the USA. Especially worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 Especially worse. Compared to what...and when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Weber Posted September 21, 2010 Report Share Posted September 21, 2010 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... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter F Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 I Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shwa Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 I would dispute this though: THINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN WORSERecord 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 Compared to what...and when? Worse, it's still the USA. Better, it's clearly the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 Worse, it's still the USA. Better, it's clearly the USA. Best, you're still talking about the USA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 Best, you're still talking about the USA! And we wont' stop... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 And we wont' stop... ...priceless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 ...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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleg Bach Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dre Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 ...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!!!". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 (edited) 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 (edited) 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardner Posted September 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bush_cheney2004 Posted September 22, 2010 Report Share Posted September 22, 2010 ....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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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