Myth#1 America is the Greatest

We as Americans believe we live in the Greatest Country in the World.  Is that true?  By what standard?  Literacy?  The number of babies that survive birth?  By how safe it is to live in this country?  By how well we take care of our sick, our aged, our youth?  By how we educate our children?  By how hard we work?  By how our families stick together?  By our success in marriage?  

Perhaps there is one area.  Our military.  But even that is suspect for effectiveness.  We spend ten times more than China, and more than the next twenty countries put together -- all of which are our allies except for China.  Are we any safer than the rest of the world?  If so, then what about 911.  Our military is the best at spending money the most inefficiently.  Do we seriously believe that if China was stupid enough to spend a trillion dollars a year on the military that they would not kick our butt like they do in every other category.

My friends in Peru used to say that Americans were good at making money but not good at living life.  We no longer have the highest standard of living in the world, we have not for a long time.  So, I am afraid my Peruvian friends were wrong, we don't know how to make money or live life.

But, we do have more tanks in storage than anyone else.  Tanks that the miliary do not want, but Congress likes pork despite the fact that it helping to destroy America. 

Is the American Dream becoming a myth?  Is Congress part of the problem, or part of the solution?