It's Always Something....

It seems that a large number of people in the world believe the US is somehow on the verge of collapsing or losing it's mojo but is that really true?  If take a good look at US history you can't help but note that the US has always been burdened with both actual and potential society wrecking issues. Just some of the examples are:

1. The founding of the US started off with a Revolutionary War involving England, France, and Spain who were all striving to become imperialist powers at the time.
2. The Declaration of Independence,Bill of Rights, and basic laws were created by the wealthy land owners at the time with very little if any input from the average citizen.
3. The time period when the US was spreading across the land was filled with violence against any natives who happened to get in the way of progress.  
4. The US prosecuted and luckily survived a brutal civil war. Most people claim that slavery was the only issue but slavery was low on the list of differences. The Federal government at the time was weak and divided and those seeking wealth and power saw their chance to grab some. If the south had been victorious it would have opened the door to balkanization resulting in the present day US being divided into many countries.
5. The disparity between the wealthy elite and the regular citizens was wider than it is today by a long shot.
6. The US suffered through a paralyzing depression where over 1/3 of the country was unemployed.
7. The US fought in WW1 and WW2 which bookended the depression.
8. The US fought in the Korean war.
9. The US fought a cold war for 30+ years.
10. Severe racism was endemic in the US. From the founding of the country to modern times.  
11. The US fought in the Vietnam war.
12. The US has had to deal with hostile middle eastern countries to secure oil supplies since the 1950's. Todays on-going hostility is nothing new.
13. There were "Death to America" chants in the middle east going back to the 1950's.

The US has always been struggling with debilitating trends and actions. The politics of these issues have divided the countries citizens many times. It's hard to look back on US  history and declare these were the good times. Sometimes things were good and sometimes they were not. As the world changes around us the US will always be changing to fit in. There will be both success and failure along with ups and downs. There are no absolutes when it comes to describing a country that is so diverse. The US can not claim perfection in any way but if we are lucky the country will never stop striving for that perfection. The US is still the most popular country where many people want to immigrate to from just about every country on the planet. The most important component in the allur of the US is that the country has always offered "Hope" to those seeking to better their lives and the US is still a country where "rags to riches" stories are created on a regular basis.