Is America a Serious Country?

A couple of decades ago, the US was just another country, albeit the world’s strongest, and with more than a healthy appetite for engaging in wars in far-away places. And of course, you had a susceptible population buy into their country’s supposed exceptionalism – never mind that the exceptionalism didn’t hold water on scrutiny. Otherwise, the US was just another normal country.

That’s changed. Jon Stewart didn’t have an iota of fodder to work with as does Trevor Noah today. The US today looks like a country that is simply not serious, that a significant chunk of the citizenry, government officials et al, lives and operates in a reality and with a set of values that is so far out on a limb, with such bravado and confidence, that it’s hard to treat the country as anything but a prank.

Four years ago, Americans elected as their president a misogynistic, ego-maniac buffoon. Who then aptly further demonstrated his incompetence as well as his willingness to make stuff up the likes of which has had no modern contender. Just a few months ago, an astonishing 48% of Americans voted again for him.

How many countries in the world come to mind who elect a rapist, narcissist, pathological liar, as their chief executive? Perhaps you can think of a country where the legislature won’t act when the executive encourages the ransacking of the legislative building? Or perhaps a country where state executives make it harder for people to vote, in order to keep the incumbent in office?

It’s not just the politics. Can you think of a country where a quarter of the population won’t take the 5 millimetres of a COVID vaccine jab but will gladly drink an average 3 litres of soft drinks every single week? Or perhaps a country in which the average worker gets only 10 paid days off from work per year, yet has seen practically no increase in real income in the last three decades?

The thing about messed up countries is they soon unravel. And that can be a messy business.