United States of America
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| United States of America | |
|---|---|
| Mode of production | ImperialismIimperialist capitalism |
| Government | Federal corporatocratic republic |
The United States of America (USA), often known simply as the United States, is a capitalist and imperialist state and one of the major superpowers in the world. The United States came into being during the American Revolution with the ratification of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It currently boasts the world's largest economy at 15% of the world's GDP (PPP),[1] and it continues to exert tremendous influence in the many imperialist organizations it has created, including NATO, the Organization of American States, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, and Human Rights Watch. The US has developed an immense and thorough apparatus for maintaining its power and dominance through economic, judicial, political, proxy, and direct warfare, inevitably leading to tremendous atrocities which the state tends to cover up and deny. The current and future situation of United States hegemony has come into question since the dawn of the 21st century due to causes which are still debated.
The American political system is deeply corrupt, but euphemisms like "lobbying", practices like the revolving door, and legal loopholes like "nonprofit" organizations which launder contributions, help to obfuscate its true nature. Because of the entrenchment and hegemony of bourgeois wealth in politics, the government is not broadly representative of its people, and what freedom exists often tends to benefit the property-owning classes rather than to bolster the dwindling personal and civil liberties of ordinary Americans. From its seat in the United Nations, the US has opposed the recognition of the human right to food, paid maternity leave, and affordable/sustainable energy;[2][3] abstained on the right to clean water and sanitation;[4] declined to recognize the rights of children, Indigenous people, and the disabled;[citation needed]
and has repeatedly opposed resolutions to condemn racial discrimination and the glorification of Nazism,[3][5] often breaking with the position of most of the world. The pervasiveness of anti-communist ideology, close relationship between government officials and corporate leadership, pro-war tendencies, increasing state surveillance and decrease in civil liberties, and the presence of chauvinism, patriarchy, and systemic racism makes the US a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie with traits of fascism.[6][7][8]
Many Americans are convinced into the support or otherwise dismissal of their country's inhumanity by concessions and ideology, especially American exceptionalism, concealing the contradictions of capitalism so that the working peoples do not seek to dismantle the status quo. Some Americans believe that the American press is a free one, but American news networks like CNN and Fox News still staunchly support the bourgeoisie and the state despite being privately owned. In spite of the propaganda, Americans generally have a vague understanding that their country is heading in the wrong direction, with over three-quarters reporting dissatisfaction with the current state of their nation.[9]
Despite its overall wealth, very many in the US remain economically immiserated, especially in states like Mississippi, which is poorly developed and has one-fifth of its population living in poverty.[10] Mississippi is also the state with the highest percentage of African-Americans, reflecting the country's immense racial inequality and abiding racial tensions which continue to worsen.[11] The country ranks relatively low in education for its level of wealth, with higher education often burdening students with debt that takes an average of 20 years to pay off, and spends twice the proportion of its GDP on healthcare compared to other developed countries[12] Template:Failed verification Template:Dead link despite providing less coverage.[citation needed]
About a quarter of Americans reported putting off treatment for a serious condition in 2019 due to cost, with about a third doing so for any health issue,[13] and 56% of Americans lack even the savings to cover even a $1,000 emergency expense, meaning even an unexpected car repair could send them into debt.[14] The United States also greatly suffers from pollution caused by deregulation (in sectors like animal agriculture) and an absence of nationwide quality standards or relevant funding,[clarification needed] leaving half of all US water unsuitable for swimming, fishing, or drinking.[15] US infrastructure is also poor, with many bridges needing repair, millions of people exposed to dangerous levels of lead in water, poor city planning, and aging power grids that buckle under stress. The nation's various crises and issues may even have a hampering effect on the success of its imperalism, seeing as over 70% of young Americans are reportedly ineligible, due to obesity, education problems, or crime and drug records, to join the US military; for selective branches like the Marine Corps the number may be as high as 93%.[16]
See also
References
- ↑ United States' share of global gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) from 2016 to 2026. Statista.
- ↑ GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATIONS IN FIVE COUNTRIES, AS IT ADOPTS 60 DRAFT TEXTS RECOMMENDED BY ITS THIRD COMMITTEE. United Nations.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 General Assembly Adopts 59 Third Committee Texts on Trafficking in Persons, Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines, as Delegates Spar over Language. United Nations.
- ↑ General Assembly Adopts Resolution Recognizing Access to Clean Water, Sanitation as Human Right, by Recorded Vote of 122 in Favour, None against, 41 Abstentions. United Nations.
- ↑ U.S. votes against anti-Nazi resolution at U.N.
- ↑ Black Panther Party (1970) Capitalism Plus Dope Equals Genocide
- ↑ Fred Hampton (1969) It’s a Class Struggle, Godamnit!
- ↑ Minju Joson (2016) Final Doom of U.S.
- ↑ Gallup: Only 21% of Americans Satisfied With Direction of U.S.. CNSNews.
- ↑ Mississippi still nation's most poverty-stricken state. gulflive.com.
- ↑ Race Relations. Gallup.
- ↑ How Does the U.S. Healthcare System Compare to Other Countries?. Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
- ↑ More Americans Delaying Medical Treatment Due to Cost. Gallup.
- ↑ 56% of Americans can't cover a $1,000 emergency expense with savings. CNBC.
- ↑ About half of US water ‘too polluted’ for swimming, fishing or drinking, report finds. The Hill.
- ↑ Obesity and Other Problems Barring Teens from Military Service Need National Attention, Leaders Say. Military.com.