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IMO the biggest mistake the USA has made post WW2 is taking up the mantle of Imperial colonialism. All the other big colonial powers had finally figured out that it was a losing proposition and got out of the colonial business. The living conditions of the citizens of those countries have risen way beyond what they ever had at the height of their colonial empires. At the time the UK was the biggest colonial power on earth the average Englishman was basically a "wage slave". He gained nothing from the colonial system. Not only that but as Americans must now realize, this system that gained him nothing at all also demanded he lay down his life to maintain it in the never ending wars that go along with colonialism. All the treasure wasted trying to uphold these foreign entanglements could have been used to build a better America. That is exactly the experience they have discovered in The UK, France, Portugal, Holland, Belgium and Spain. Those countries have never experienced the standard of living they now enjoy since they untangled themselves from their colonial past.
1. War in Iraq.
2. War in Vietnam.
3. Citizens united ruling.
4. Cutting taxes when we finally had a surplus for 2 years (done by republican congress and President Clinton). It would have been a perfect time to start paying down the national debt...and then of course back to the war in Iraq that exploded the deficit along with the Bush tax cuts.
5. School vouchers and publicly funded charter schools (it cost more for the taxpayer per student for both). If someone doesn't like the public schools, then they can send their kids to private schools or homeschool them.
6. Trickle down economics (still hasn't trickled down) exploded our deficits.
7. Government not being responsible and raising taxes and cutting government spending at the same time to bring down the deficits when it was still possible (our national debt will never get paid off now, our politicians on both sides just want votes and refused to use kitchen table economics when it was still possible. The debt is so large now that raising taxes and cutting spending is not feasible any more).
8. Republican party letting the crazies take over a perfectly reasonable party. Good luck getting it back.
9. GERRYMANDERING. Our house is gerrymandered to the point where the house members don't have to worry about losing their seats in a general election, they only have to worry about losing the primary. They therefore move further and further to the right or left to please their bases. If we had fairly drawn lines then maybe they would have to actually get something done while in office instead of just pandering to their base.
10. FOX NEWS, MSNBC, and those like them. They have divided our country more than anything else.
11. The lack of our elected officials ability to compromise (I am talking about both parties). We truly have a do nothing government.
12. The idea that it takes 60 votes in the senate to get anything passed. I think that 51 votes is the majority and should allow the passage of bills. I still believe in the ability to filibuster, but I think it should be the old fashioned way where the senator has to talk forever.
Very good answers, esp #4, which you don't hear much but I have always felt that we blew our big chance to get the debt under control in the rush to give unneeded tax cuts, along with failure to do anything about entitlement spending.
IMO the biggest mistake the USA has made post WW2 is taking up the mantle of Imperial colonialism. All the other big colonial powers had finally figured out that it was a losing proposition and got out of the colonial business. The living conditions of the citizens of those countries have risen way beyond what they ever had at the height of their colonial empires. At the time the UK was the biggest colonial power on earth the average Englishman was basically a "wage slave". He gained nothing from the colonial system. Not only that but as Americans must now realize, this system that gained him nothing at all also demanded he lay down his life to maintain it in the never ending wars that go along with colonialism. All the treasure wasted trying to uphold these foreign entanglements could have been used to build a better America. That is exactly the experience they have discovered in The UK, France, Portugal, Holland, Belgium and Spain. Those countries have never experienced the standard of living they now enjoy since they untangled themselves from their colonial past.
I'd totally agree with you but; the US the ONLY country strong enough to go toe to toe with Russia and probably win after WW 2. So that's the main reason we got tied up with so many 3rd world countries 60 to 70 years ago to keep Stalin in his place. That dude was pretty much Hitler 2.0.
Very good answers, esp #4, which you don't hear much but I have always felt that we blew our big chance to get the debt under control in the rush to give unneeded tax cuts, along with failure to do anything about entitlement spending.
Tax cuts are always needed. Spending cuts, real cuts not those reductions in the rate of increased spending that some scream are cuts would reduce the debt just dandy.
Tax cuts are always needed. Spending cuts, real cuts not those reductions in the rate of increased spending that some scream are cuts would reduce the debt just dandy.
I disagree. That is the equivalent of dealing with your high mortgage by leaving your high paying job for a low paying job and thinking that you can make up the difference by cutting back on your grocery bill. We had a great chance back in the late 90's to actually pay down on our debt. Instead President Bush (and congress) gave everyone about $600 and then cut taxes. We have never financially recovered from those 2 decisions. I do agree that we also needed to make budget cuts at the same time, but budget cuts coupled with tax cuts cancels each other out. If we had just used the surpluses to pay down the national debt and continued on the same pace, we could have payed off the debt in a few years (I think the debt was only about 4 trillion at that point).
Korean War
Vietnam War
Reaganomics
Free Trade/Globalization/Open Borders
Gramm Leach Bliley Act (repeal of Glass-Steagall)
Iraq War II
Bank Bailouts without requiring reform
Citizens United decision
The end result is that the government no longer works for its citizens, but only for big business interests.
But libruhls are coming for our guns! And Obama is a socialist! And black people are getting food stamps! And abortions are legal! And Muzlims are comin'!
Many trends today were set a half century ago. Those years after WWII, the U.S. Had incredible advantage compared to other countries. The world's workers could not yet compete with American workers, either low skill or outside the capitalist system. In those years of prosperity, the us set many new policies.
What are some big mistakes the U.S. Made, now judging from the results?
For instance, should the US opened the door to immigrants from around the world, and were there alternatives to the policies?
Was the welfare state effective in achieving its goals of reducing poverty?
The door has always been open to immigrants.
I think Iraq war was the biggest mistake in last 60 years.
Our constant involvement in the Middle East has clearly done more harm than good. Accept it or not, Bin Laden explained quite clealry what he was mad about, and while some of it is nothing but the ravings of a mad man, he sort of has a point. If China controlled our world, we'd see it as an obstruction of our liberties. The fact that we see it different when we control the Middle East either makes us *******s or stupid (or both, realistically).
Also, the public never holding anyone accountable for anything ever. We can **** all over Clinton and Bush (who were bad presidents), but who elected them? And no, it was just the [insert major party you are not here]. Be an adult. When politicians lie, don't vote for them. Don't pick the one you think lies less or is less bad, pick the one you think is good. For most of us, that's neither Trump nor Clinton, yet also for most of us, that's who we're voting for. Also, letting the media just say whatever it wants is a problem. End CNN. End Fox. End all of it. It's stupid and unhelpful.
Those are my two biggies. There are plenty of other problems though.
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