U.S. Falls From Top 20 Least Corrupt Countries

Is it a sign of the declining republic?

America's fortunes do not look promising. A many Americans worry that their children will inherit a nation less prosperous. And they have good cause to worry. America's debt and deficit are at record highs: Over ten trillion in debt and a deficit exceeding a trillion. Unfounded liabilities are at a $100 trillion dollar level. The federal budget is as such that billions in spending now is a mere rounding error. And today the Federal Reserve said it will buy up $600billion in debt bonds to finance spending.

corruption n2vSq 19672

And all this at a time when the nation's politics is often petty, short-sighted and opportunistic and priorities are lost.

Consider some recent news:

Many state government, revenue starved, have forced their employees to take unpaid leave. Hawaii has gone a step forward: student furloughed. For 17 Fridays this academic calendar, Hawaii public schools will close "giving students the shortest academic year in the nation."

Clayton Country, a suburb of Atlanta, has suspended all bus services since March 31 leaving 8,400 daily raiders without public transport.

Not done yet: some parts of America are literally entering the Dark Ago. Colorado Springs has cut off 1/3 of its 24,512 street lights to save on electric costs. Its police force has been cut also and police helicopters were recently auctioned.

(Source: The New York Times)

Still not done yet: We're moving past the Dark Ages and now descending into the Stone Ago. That was a headline in a recent Wall Street Journal article: 'Back to Stone Age'

"paved roads, historical emblems of American achievement, are being torn up across rural America and replaced with gravel or other rough surfaces as counties struggle with tight budgets and dwindling state and federal revenue."

So let's see: school children now scheduled for four-days weeks, public transport cut, street lights turned off, and, o' yeah, we can no longer afford paved roads. Does this sound like the richest nation in the world?

And the most disgusting thing is the political class. Cutting education is easy, but defense spending at nearly $800billion is beyond debate or else one isn't a real patriot. And when not defending insane defense spending which already amounts to more than 50% of world spending on arms and when not calling for more costly unnecessary wars and when not cheering American empire, our leaders have other pressing issues: you know, like an Islamic center in Manhattan, or gays in public schools, or whether Obama is a socialist.

So no surprise with this new news:

"The United States has fallen out of the top 20 least corrupt countries. It is in 22nd position, behind Qatar and Chile."

It used to be a great country. But we've fallen on some hard times.