RABBIA MOLAI
managing editor
rabbia.molai@my.tccd.edu
America. We’re like that club that everyone wants to be a part of. At least, that’s what we’d like to think.
With Hollywood, Disneyland and the Big Apple, we really think we have it all. But what does it truly mean to be an exceptional country? We have plenty of potential to be great, but there is one problem that we just can’t seem to get past — ourselves.
As a whole, America has a serious self-absorption problem, much of it stemming from the fact that the majority of our mass media outlets only feed us local information. Just take our news outlets, for example.
You can barely get information on other cities, let alone other countries. What’s strange is that we’re one of the only major countries in the free world that has its media set up this way. England or New Zealand, for example, have current events from all over the world as part of their regular nightly news.
In the 21st century, there isn’t an excuse for not being well-informed on topics outside of oneself. Being alive in the age of smartphones and high-speed internet means the gateway to information is always open. So why is no one using it?
No country is perfect, but one must acknowledge the issues present and be willing to fix them. When you’ve already made up your mind to believe that you can do no wrong, trying to create change is like trying to break a brick with a toothpick.
But why does this mindset of “America can do no wrong” exist? More than likely, it’s because a majority of people think there really is nothing outside these 50 states that could truly be of any substance. For some, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
One of the things about the U.S. that truly makes it great is that people from all over the world immigrate here to try and better their lives. When meeting someone whose family immigrated here, compared with someone whose entire life and family have been spent in the States, it’s jarring to see the differences in their view of the world.
It’s unfortunate that despite what America has in terms of monetary opportunities, it lacks in global awareness and willingness to improve. While the rest of the world is constantly evolving and changing for the better, America is still stuck in the same place arguing the same stupid politics 40 years later and still not coming to a consensus.
The country as a whole has some serious growing up to do. News flash, the same people who have made decisions since the ‘60s shouldn’t be making them now. Modern problems require modern solutions. Considering some of the archaic government officials currently in office can’t grasp the concept of the internet, they most certainly shouldn’t be making political decisions.
What America needs more than anything else is to wake the hell up. The world is changing. New ideas are being formed every single day. And if the U.S. doesn’t keep up, it might just fade away into oblivion.
