In 1988, the US was ranked "the best place to be born." Today it is #16. What happened?

Reality TV, Starbucks and Walmart type stores have completely turned Americans into zombie morons who are only concerned with finding Twinkies before they're gone, or how to DVR Jersey Shore while they're watching Casey Anthony Bio.

It's many many factors which have begun to derail the country. From political deals to technology,(no Im not Unibomber), to celebrity icons being worshipped to teachers not caring.

It's a perfect storm to Idiocracy and we are all along for the ride.


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reply to post by bjax9er


This has absolutely nothing to do with political parties. Democrats and republicans have been in power for so long they know that people are conditioned to vote for one or the other so they scratch each others backs. They count on the division of peoples views to make it seem like their agendas are different but they remain the same.

Corporations running the country is the biggest factor. They look to line their pockets at the expense of the general population. t was always like this but back in the day they had a little more tact. Now...they're ruthless and uncaring.

I'll tell you what happened. The internet, video games and a couple of stupid wars.

reply to post by silent thunder


What happened?

Reaganomics. The Bush Wars (Gulf War I and II, Afghan War) creating massive debt. The Bush Tax Cuts adding to that debt. The (until recently) the lack of any real public healthcare for non-seniors. The Do-Nothing Congress. The lack of cheap and affordable higher-education. Deregulation of business and banks. The slowdown in American scientific pioneering.

There are numerous reasons ; the 2 listed below are big ones;

1. Health care in this country is only for the wealthy ; or fast becoming a luxury that only the wealthy will get ; all the rest will have to fight for the crumbs.

If ordinary "joe" is diagnosed with a major cancer in this country ; he better check to see first off what his insurance will pay. If it is not good quality insurance; chances are; he will go bankrupt to pay for saving his life. If he doesn't have insurance; forget it. He will slowly die of his disease.

2. A person today will go bankrupt to get a simple bachelors degree in this country. In 1988, the average cost for a bachelors degree was around 10,000 dollars. Today, it can cost between 40,000 and 60,000 dollars depending on where you go to collage. I have heard some ivy schools cost more than 60.000 dollars.


These are just 2 examples but BIG ones that will effect a person's life

This country use to be a place where the middle class or poor could rise up and attain more than their parents or grand parents.

Today, this is NO longer true. It is fast becoming a society of haves and have nots with NO middle class. It is fast becoming a serfdom type society where the poor support the rich and there is no way to move out of your poor class.

Its all about the Zionist agenda to destroy America and the rest of the west as well as third world immigrants.

reply to post by silent thunder


If in 1988...the USA was the "best place to be born"...and in 2012 it the 16th? Doesn't that mean that there are a lot of 24 year old American Citizens feeling lied to?

See there is a Time component here...It's a bit misleading.

If 18 years from now we rank on top again...and someplace like Switzerland falls...for those 18 year old high school graduates, they would look back on the article as bunk.

That said...if the article was titled...best place to currently "Live"...then yes, they have a point...we have work to do. thanks for the OP and the discussion points.

Lol, better to be born in Hong Kong? I guess freedom of speech isn't too high on their determining list.

Lists mean nothing, stats say what you want stats to say.

What happened was "liberals" (code word for cultural marxists) and "conservatives" (code-word for warmongering hawks). Thats what happened.

I still think it rocks.

We still have jobs, feed millions, people can work and come up in the world, we educate millions, give water and electricity to millions daily, we don't have to pay for lazy people(well not yet), we can still say what we want for the most part, we have the most popular culture, the strongest military, all the world's major advancements still come from us, we have the best higher education in the world, we have the strongest companies in the world,

We are not the "best country" in the world, no one is. We are (all in all) doing good though.

Oh, and we are kick ass people.

I still think the US is a great place to be born.

Our "capitalist" bloodlust actually allows people to believe that they have a RIGHT to make money by poisoning you! And our government supports these activities with their policies. FDA is a joke and we all know it

What happened? Is that seriously a question?

Havn't you seen that your country going down crapper?

When you put corporations and banks before your own citizens, and those same citizens don't do anything about it until it is too late.... what do you think would happen?

Originally posted by Chargeit
Lol, better to be born in Hong Kong? I guess freedom of speech isn't too high on their determining list.

Thats not fair, Hong Kong does not follow mainland China laws and policies, they have their own independent legal system. the basic law of Hong Kong is based on that from England (English Law).

reply to post by ObedientSheeple


Ok, if you feel so threatened, then why are you posting this?

Isn't the big bad American government going to come kick your door in?

Grow up and quit being a follower.

You people are sheep to these fear spreading mongoloids.

reply to post by silent thunder


Imo I am surprised it's even that high on the list, anyway what happened? Corporate Butt kissers happened, Our government isn't for us anymore, they are simply the corporations' police men. Facism happened, oligarcy happened, Media BS happened.

From number #1 to number #16?

Now thats CHANGE we all can believe in!

Politics of the 90s happened and carried right on over thru Baby Bush and Barry.

Dorian Soran

Three words.

Honey Boo Boo.

That show is a microcosm of this nation.

reply to post by Chargeit


And your posts sound like you have the wool pulled over your eyes. You make claims like everything is just peachy here when all you have to do is look around and see that it isn't. Our country is definitely on the decline. I would like to say that you have a point, our country is still overall a good place to live (16 out of 80 still isn't bad), but you need to be blind to not think that nothing is wrong right now.

Originally posted by MystikMushroom
Three words.

Honey Boo Boo.

That show is a microcosm of this nation.

What fat lazy retarded kids are the problem? Are you serious you can't be, none of he fat retards are leading this nation.