America's problems are so huge, that one can see them from Australia

“The US used to be incredibly aspirational for me and many of my peers. We revered the US. It was the centre of the free world! The land of opportunity! The home of the brave!

“When I was growing up, Green Cards were so highly prized they were almost mythologised. They were the golden ticket, a chance to move to the greatest country on earth and pursue the American Dream. When a friend of mine won one in the Green Card lottery, we were awed and envious and disbelieving,” an author of an article at “The Sydney Morning Herald” writes from Australia.

“I loved the US. I admired the patriotism, the enthusiasm so many Americans held for their country. I adored Hollywood, the John Hughes movies, the TV dramas like Hill Street Blues and Family Ties and LA Law. I admired the multiculturalism, the idea of a melting pot of immigrants from around the globe. I coveted the college system, the diners, Walmart, and brands like Gap and Banana Republic. I marvelled at New York, which did and still does feel like the centre of the universe.

“Now, I wouldn’t take a Green Card if it came with a bag of cash and a date with George Clooney. The country is so divided and so toxic that I worry for my American friends.

“The US has more guns than people, and the highest rate of gun ownership in the world by a huge margin. The US had almost one school shooting per week last year, and homicide is the leading cause of death for kids and adolescents. Incarceration rates in the US are among the highest in the world and income inequality is the highest among developed nations.

“The access to voting is unequal, the electoral college system is inequitable, and the stacked Supreme Court means that the values of a conservative minority beat the wishes of the majority. It is democracy, yes, but it is certainly not inclusive,” Australian newspaper writes.

…America's problems are so huge, that one can see them from Australia.

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