America: A Superpower

America has been a global superpower for as long as anyone can remember, but have we peaked as a nation? Is there anywhere left to go but down? It is clear to see that America is weakening and there is no clear-cut solution on how to fix the problems that are pulling it down. People seem to have lost all hope in the economy ever being stable again but there must be a light at the end of this long tunnel. There have been countless suggestions by politicians on just how to fix the economy, but no progress has been seen. America is by no means a weak nation but it is not difficult to see the plateau that we are at right now. The United States has prided itself on being such a strong nation for so long but now we are stuck at a stand still with no confidence that we will be stable within the next few years.

The saying "the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer" has echoed throughout our nation since the recession has begun. Americans, being the individualistic culture that we are, believe that the only way to get things done is to do it yourself, which is the wrong attitude to have when dealing with an economic crisis affecting the entire nation. There are very few people who have not felt the effects of the recession and now is time to band together as a whole and move away from the "I" identity. America can learn from countries like China, Korea, and Japan who value collectivism and find teamwork and community extremely important to their success. If America were to adopt some of the collectivism beliefs and apply them to their individualist culture, they will be able to get back on track. For example, the top 1% of the upper class accounts for 17% of income in the United States (Reynolds) and own over 40% of the country's financial wealth (Domhoff). America needs to find a way for that top 1% to stimulate the economy in a way that would benefit the nation as a whole.

Taking collectivism into account, perhaps if the top 1% were to focus their spending towards small businesses, they could earn a tax break at the end of the year or the government could set up intervals of amounts spent on small businesses, which would give greater and greater tax breaks. This may seem like a small step but it would get money circulating and create jobs as well. This would help the other 99% of America including the struggling small business owners and the amounts of people that are unemployed. If the upper class were to see the importance in helping the nation as a whole, the economy would perk up and begin to improve.

There are so many countries out there that dream of having freedom, equality, and the opportunities that Americans take for granted. Americans think they are happy with their freedoms. They think they are content with cutting back in the recession because they think times will get better soon. They may think this, but they know this is not the case. Americans are not happy with just life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that was once coveted by all. Other nations have always looked upon us as a stable country and envied the freedom we possess, and now we as Americans need to reevaluate ourselves. Money has become the most important thing in the world to most Americans and the recession has made this very clear.

An article published in Psychology Today summed up American's outlook on happiness in one sentence: "Over generations of prosperity and growth, the American Dream has become an American Expectation--a version of happiness achieved by entitlement and equation: Two fat incomes plus a two-car garage plus two master-bathroom sinks plus two-point-something kids equals one happy family"(Sandler). This is what America has come to. Americans