UNITES STATES: ONCE THE TOP COUNTRY, BEING UNDONE BY FADING TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE AND MEDOCRITY PRESIDED OVER BY ITS MEDIA

Of late, news in general for the United States of America has been quite discouraging:

·       China overtaking US as world’s largest economy (as per IMF);

·       US special forces mission’s failure in Yemen;

·       Racial tensions arising from string of deaths of African-Americans at the hand of white policemen;

·       Overall deficit topping $18 Trillion;

·       Saudis playing the high stake poker to also subdue the American shale oil boom;

·       Rumors of US administration considering sanctions against one of its closest allies – Israel;

·       Failure to strike a worthwhile deal with Iran to limit its nuclear ambition, and Iran’s religious leaders thumbing their nose to US;

·       Continual dismal performance of President Obama and the administration – at national and international stage.

Suddenly, the US is looking jaded, faded, tired and lacking the panache of a numero uno. Though the US economy is doing pretty well – the latest job creation numbers coming out stronger than expected – there is hardly any sense of being on top.

And, all of the above is getting further compounded for the worst by a third-rate, mediocre television media in US. As it is, the American media is split in left and right – very few in the middle – their coverage is clouded by their ideological slants. To make matters worse, the anchors of the various programs are utterly mediocre who fill air time with virtually meaningless conversations. Most of what transpires on the programs is garbage-in-garbage-out.

Instead of the key issues that is confronting to continual slide in American dominance and unchallenged status of world number one, the TV channels’ programs helmed by disgustingly mediocre anchors/presenters discuss worthless stuff – peripheral at best. Only fluff fills the time slots. Any knowledgeable guests, who may be stating something vital, is cut short and they get back to fluffy stuff and nonsense.

Some examples of key issues to talk about:

·       In view of rising anger within the African-American community, what is keeping this community still so non-violent (barring some isolated incidents in Ferguson)?

·       How the role of the Reverends is helping to keep the focus of the protest non-violent and peaceful;

·       What steps should be taken to address the situation so that the African-American community does not get pushed to a corner where they are forced to contemplate violence of serious nature – which would may not be difficult in a country like US where deadly weapons are available so easily;

·       Falling standards in development of new cutting edge technology;

·       How the economy can be strengthened – newer business models;

·       Issues facing the societal fabric, family structure, human relations etc.

Instead of the above intellectually stimulating and useful discussions, the discussions are personal ideology driven, shallow, wandering and nonsensical. You have to watch a cable channel whose anchors can waffle for hours on end on the topic of the day, say, demonstrations by the African-Americans and their supporters. How nonsensical discussions can fill the whole day of TV time was exemplified on a cable channel during missing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH-370 – hours of generally substance-less discussions took place without zeroing on the kernel.

It is sad for the Americans that they are now called ‘second rate’ based on the latest economic data announcement coming from IMF. It is so ironic that US is a country of dozens of Nobel Laureates in all fields, including economics, yet the country is languishing. The crops coming up in the political echelons are so mediocre and lack luster – on both sides of the aisle.

None of the prospective (and talked about) candidates for 2016 presidential elections are cracker-jacks. They are all so mediocre (if they are assessed impartially) – and none of them inspire any confidence whatsoever about their outstanding capabilities. Since John F Kennedy, the succeeding presidents of the US have all been mediocre to being utterly useless (Carter probably winning the badge of honor of being the worst of the lot).

It seems some sort of supernatural intervention can only bring the change which can stem the rot and be instrumental in carrying out wholesale revamp of the United States – in all fields. Till such time the great country that US was/is will lurch from one crisis to another, from one frustrating level of mediocrity to another.