250th Anniversary of the United States, but Only 30% of Americans Believe "America Is Greatest"
Although this year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, Americans themselves lack confidence in whether the nation can endure another 250 years.
On the 16th, Reuters revealed a public opinion survey indicating that under today's highly polarized political landscape, Americans are "full of anxiety" about the country's future.
The survey shows that 38% of respondents doubt whether the U.S. will still be a unified nation half a century from now; two-thirds of Americans believe America's "democracy" is at risk of failure—Reuters noted this proportion has risen compared to 57% in last August's survey.
Additionally, 77% of respondents believe political violence in the U.S. may increase over the next five years; only 30% of respondents believe the U.S. remains "the greatest country in the world."
The conclusions reflected by these figures are actually quite straightforward.
The U.S.'s current biggest crisis lies not externally—not from so-called "China threat," nor from countries like Iran or Russia—but internally: deep partisan divisions, rampant racial discrimination and hatred, widespread gun and drug problems, and unchecked greed among financial elites.
Today’s America remains powerful, of course. But historically, Rome too had powerful legions and immense wealth before its collapse. Yet when senators attacked each other within the Senate, and Roman citizens themselves sank into self-doubt, no amount of treasure or battle formations could stop the inevitable decline.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868150459009024/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.