The present administration's head-in-the-sand approach to global warming. The US, due to its high population and high per capita rates of CO2 emissions, is one of the highest polluters in the world. If it were to move to renewable energy sources, it would make a huge difference to helping to slow the rate of global warming, and eventually (100 years) return it back to its natural rate (the rate at which evolution has time to adapt.)
The highest per capita rate of gun crimes compared to other first world nations.
The selling of arms to countries like Saudi Arabia enabling its atrocities committed in and against Yemen and the majority of its civilians.
The movement of the US embassy to Jerusalem, which goes against the initial treaty for the establishment of the state of Israel and seriously reduces the chances of ever attaining peace between Israel and Palestine.
The rise of populism in politics at the expense of using expert research and serious public debate to determine policies.
The electoral college - which undermines the chances of real democracy ever having a chance. This requires a mass movement of the American people to demand a referendum to amend the constitution.
Over the last thirty years, the gradual fall in the standard of primary and secondary levels of public education and the dumbing down of many (though not ivy league) universities.
The tendency to read only news sources that reinforce existing biases; the tendency to refuse to deliberately choose to listen to and understand opposing points of view or information which might undermine or threaten established views.
The abnormally high rates of incarceration, mainly due to minor use of drugs; not treating drug use as a mental health issue, and not placing enough emphasis on catching the manufacturers, suppliers and dealers who are the ones who do belong behind bars. The statistically much higher rates of incarceration of ethnic minorities, the much shorter short-trigger response of police to non-whites resulting in the murders of proven innocents.
The tendency to be over litigious when cheaper and more effective options for resolving problems are readily available.
The tendency to be highly parochial -- to be ignorant and often highly intolerant of other cultures and their histories and local conditions.
The majority ignorance of how the USA affects others countries and how those countries perceive the US as a result.
This ignorance is potentially dangerous, creating a high likelihood that it will one day lead the USA into conflicts with disastrous results for everyone (the whole world). At present, it could be with China, Korea or Myanmar - or all three together. The counter to this is that America does have an elite of specialists in different organisations whose job it is to monitor these things and advise and educate the POTUS. The difficulty is that the POTUS's legal powers mean he or she is not obliged to accept their advice.
This post was edited by inky at December 11, 2018 6:38 AM MST
SpunkySenior 