America Has Lost Its Mind Essay

“What happens to a society that cannot distinguish between reality and illusion?” As our country crumbles and our economy crashes, Chris Hedges asks this one question to his readers. Throughout his article, “American Psychosis,” he provides hit after hit of shocking proof that reveals the United States to not only be in desperate need of change, but also that the American people, with their obtuse nationalism and selfish greed, are blissfully ignorant of what could possibly be the downfall of this country. Hedges wants his reader to be shocked at the startling facts that he throws at them, to be angry at him for saying what must be blatant lies and exaggerations, and then to be inquisitive, to discover for themselves just how real the problems of the United States are and how dire the consequences can become. Hedges uses this article as a warning, he desperately wants his readers to understand just how bad things really are and he wants them to be inspired to change it, to stop whatever dark future that could happen. In this article, Hedges touches many subjects: Americans and

The idea of Liberalism, especially in the United States, is centered about the unalienable rights of an individual such as the freedoms found in the United States Bill of Rights. In the book, The Strange Death of American Liberalism by H.W. Brands, Brands says that liberalism in the United States could only survive during times of war. The United States retreats into liberalism when there is a war going on and they need the federal government’s assistance. On the other hand, the book, Liberalism: The Genius of American Ideals by Marcus G. Raskin, argued that there was no escaping from liberalism. According to Raskin, liberalism has not faded into history like many people think. Liberalism is important in the United States because it drives

America was built off of “We the people” but the question is has that changed over the years? I think that it has definitely changed over the years. “We the people” isn’t talked about much today because when issues come about the government seems to want to please more of the people that have the problem with a so called “Issue”. I feel it has gotten to a point that we have went away from what we have built our country on. The 10 amendments were put into a place for a reason and as years have passed I feel that the government doesn’t go back to those amendments when making any choices.

The physical side is at one time they did love each other because kids were born. The shared activities are the fact they have children and they still do things as a family.

The “American dream,” a promise of the ability to turn your life from rags to riches if you try hard in the United States of America, has been the definition of what it means to be an American. But over time it the American dream has changed and its pledge perhaps more viable than ever. This is due to the simple fact that America as a nation has evolved over time and the core values which its people encompass are a reflection of the times. So as an American how do we define ourselves and our nation outside of the American dream? America has been known over time as a “big brother”- protector of mankind. Yet many of our citizens did not have equal rights until the 1960’s and it took the fourteenth amendment to guarantee equal protection

Americans have been breaded to believe America is the greatest country in the world. America is a place of the freedom and possibilities, an outside looking in a very desirable place to live. However, America is not as great as Americans believe. Sure Americans have a wider range of freedom then most countries, but has plenty of issues that will repulse others from coming to the land of the free. Issues such as women’s rights, racism, and discrimination plague U.S. citizens nearly each day and that should change now.

     Many of Americans today do not take the time to realize that our nation is little by little falling apart. Our leaders are corrupt, our environment is being destroyed, and there are thousands of children being born each day. The three major social problems facing the American citizens in the 21st century are births to unmarried woman, being able to trust or government and or leaders, and lastly destroying the environment.

Why is America never America? “America never was America to me” is a line repeatedly written in the poem ‘Let America be America Again’ by an African American poet Langston Hughes. This poem was published in 1936, when being African American was one’s greatest sin. African Americans were treated as things that elite whites can own rather than free- willed humans. In this poem, the pain and suffering of colored Americans, who were considered less than humans, is reflected clearly. Despite being written by an African America poet, the poem ‘Let America Be America Again’ does not represent African Americans only. Minority groups including economically disadvantaged whites are represented in this poem. For these people America is not America. It is a sleepless night where dreams are not allowed. They never get freedom in the land of the free. They never get opportunity in the land of opportunities. They never get justice and equality in the land of the justice. America is not America they want to see, and the poet Langston Hughes repeatedly mentions, “America never was America to me”. In 1936, when the poem was first published, being colored immigrant was the same, or even worse than being a murderer, justice was never served, and there was no equality. The privileged elites had all the America to them but to the lower racial groups and immigrants, American dream never existed. Despite the fact that the poem ‘Let America be

What sets America apart from any nation in the world is that it never settle. America, at times, has had the tenancy to spent too long in the darkness of satisfaction and despondency, but never has it settles in shadows. Every single time America has fallen or been knocked down, it has never failed to rise from defeat. It may take months, years and even decades, but America never stops pursuing the perfection of the unparalleled ideals it was founded on.

People’s opinions play a huge role in their lives. As people grow and begin to see the world around them they begin to develop thoughts and opinions. The people of America are great examples of pure ignorance as some develop an opinion and refuse to abandon it, no matter how wrong it is proven to be. After reading Steven Nadler’s article titled “How to Fix American Stupidity” I completely agree with his stance on American stupidity and the best way to fix it.

Many countries have fast food and obesity problems, but America takes it to a whole other level. People don’t cook as much anymore and don’t eat healthily. They also don’t exercise. It’s pictures like this that have everyone wondering WTF and perpetuate stereotypes as to why so many Americans are obese.

Most U.S citizen views America as a country spiraling out of control. There is a sense of fear and prevailing doom as the country faces serious issues such as a growing debt and uncontrolled spending. In the article, “America remains the world's beacon of success, Tim Roemer begs to differ otherwise. Roemer points out that America has a lot going for it, for example,” The United States has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world. It is a country full of accomplishments, hope and worth fighting for. This is why America is admired by many and attracts immigrants from all around the world.

“America was conducting business as usual, but others were joining the game.” (Zakaria, 221). All this time we thought we were on top, we were actually slowly becoming less and less of leader and more a bystander as the rest of the world is slowly rising around us. Zakaria shows in that quote that as America has been continuing business like always, and because of this we have failed to realize our standing with the world around us. In the book The Post-American World, Zakaria shows us the challenges that America faces today. I believe the United States is most affected by our ignorance, competition, and worldly participation.

Today, in the 21st century, English has become one of the most used languages around the world. It is so widely used that linguists have considered it to be the new ‘lingua franca’. Along with its language the United States is one of the most influential countries around the globe. There is no denying its presence in everything from international politics to entertainment. In fact, it is thought to be the only country that rivals the world 's once-great empires in terms of its global impact. In an article written by Mclean, she proclaims, “the U.S dominates world politics by providing the language, ideas, and institutional frameworks around which much of the world turns” (2). However, the United States did not just become an imperial power over night. From the middle of the 19th century till present time the U.S has been intervening in foreign lands. One country that has been immensely influenced by English colonization, to present day, is the Island of the Philippines. Whether it was consciously or not, the control of the Philippines by U.S after the Spanish-American War was a small step towards world power. A brief look into Philippines’ history shows how much different the island would’ve been without English rule. Although the Philippines were not pleased with the transfer of power over to America in the Treaty of Paris, the short 50 year rule proves to have had a major impact on Philippine culture, customs, and politics today.

The United States of America is a very unique country for numerous reasons. One particularly good reason is our great cultural diversity. Weaved deep into our history are the tales of people traveling overseas to the New World looking for better lives. Of course, not all these tales have happy endings (or happy beginnings, or any happiness anywhere in some cases), but regardless, learning about our nation’s migratory history is very important. Immigration is a very serious topic of discussion in today’s heated political climate; whatever your stance of the issue may be, it’s handy to have some knowledge of the subject, as it could affect your opinions on it in a substantial way. We should discuss where and why immigrants came to our shores, how legislators have tried to stop them, and what impact they’ve left on our country today.