post-American malaise?

According to Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria, Americans are glum at the moment. Really glum, he says. And to prove his point he refers to a recent poll revealing that 81 percent of the American people believe that the country is on the wrong track. That is apparently the most negative response in the last 25 years. So far so good. I do believe Americans think the country is heading the wrong way. The question is why? The other question is how deep does this feeling of malaise run? Or to put it another way, how easy would it be to fix it?

According to Fareed, Americans are unsettled because frightening things are happening elsewhere in the world. If we are to believe his thesis nothing is wrong at home, it is just that the post-American world is unsettling to Americans. Things that were once the essence and purview of America are no longer so. He goes on to give examples: the tallest building is in Taipei, the biggest refinery is in India, the largest publicly traded company is in Beijing, Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood. It goes on and on. However compelling this list may seem, I doubt that it matters one bit. Most Americans, I am afraid to admit, are not aware of these facts, and those that are, probably couldn't care less. Based on my limited sampling, Americans still strongly believe that things American are the best in the world. If they do feel bad for a related reason, it is because they feel they cannot access these goodies. Sure, we have the best healthcare, but who has insurance that is good enough to access it? The list goes on, so I won't bore you here.

Fareed also hits on something else, the fact that information is exploding. This too sounds -at first glance at least- somewhat reasonable. He claims that despite the fact that violence is on the decline, not just in America, but worldwide, the information (about violence) is exploding. We see images from around the world all the time. There is a constant hype and 24hr newscasts. Last I checked the newscasts were there, but the amount of time spent on "news of the world" was easily and consistently dwarfed by the local weather forecast, and tons of other trivia -like the cat in Texas, that was rescued from a tree.

Hold on though, apparently the hype appears to be an unfortunate side-effect of the fact that "the information revolution is so new, we -reporters, writers, readers, viewers, -are all just now figuring out how to put everything in context." The latter statement is either a deliberate falsehood, or one of the most naive interpretations of news and reporting I have ever heard. It is almost funny. Maybe Fareed should take a look at Outfoxed. His "figuring out how to put everything in context" may sound good but it is hopelessly gullible and self-serving. There is ample evidence that the news media -increasingly dominated by demagogues like Rupert Murdoch- are deliberately trying to create a climate of fear in the American mind. Fox news, the undisputed star of "breaking news" and "news alerts" maybe "fair and balanced" but they are certainly not trying to put everything in context. At least not in the traditional sense of the word.

It may well be that Americans are bombarded by images of violence around the world, but once again I doubt that it would do much to produce widespread malaise. If anything, I suspect it might make people feel better about being so lucky to be American. There is a fear, due to the events of 9/11 and artfully stoked by the media, of international terrorism, but that once again has led to more resolve and determination, not malaise and glum feelings.

When it comes to images of domestic violence, the same polls clearly show that although violence is a concern, it is not the number one concern of Americans right now. To use a well-used quote: It's the economy, stupid. If Americans are unhappy about international affairs, it is because they see themselves being marginalized more and more through the actions of their government. And if they do feel bad, it is because they disagree with those actions but feel powerless to do something about it.

The main reason for America's glum is the deteriorating status of the American middle class. The very core of society, once firmly in control of their destiny, with good steady jobs, guaranteed pensions, and fabulous benefits, is no more. Job markets are uncertain, benefits are disappearing, pensions are no more, and corporations have no qualms shutting down factories and uprooting communities to move jobs overseas. The increasingly large gap between the superrich and the middle class, who are now struggling to make ends meet, is what people see. A middle class that is hugely in debt and is facing uncertain retirement in ever larger numbers. The feeling that the American dream has passed them by. All of it compounded by the recent string of market bubbles, the last of which is now causing millions to lose their home. A home that is the last vestige of the American dream.

No it isn't the world that is worrying us, Fareed. Nor are our worries as superficial as you seem to think.