It is often said – ours is the greatest country in the world and we have the greatest economy in the world. If we do have the greatest economy in the world, why are 40 million Americans underfed and hungry?

If we do have the greatest economy in the world, why do millions of Americans have astronomical medical debt? Why do millions of Americans have no health coverage at all? If we do have the greatest economy in the world, why is there insufficient money to address these problems?

How is it that other developed countries, which do not claim to be great with great economies, manage to feed their people, find medical debt unheard-of and provide universal health care which costs far less than ours and provides better outcomes?

How are we measuring economic greatness? Is it that we have so many super-rich people whose money we cannot use to address our serious problems because they know how to avoid paying taxes? One billionaire’s taxes could probably feed our hungry millions. One billionaire’s taxes could probably erase medical debt and provide health care for those still uncovered.

When other countries are so obviously doing better, why can we not learn from them? Experience teaches us that beneath boastfulness and pride lurk fear and insecurity. Are we afraid to admit that we can learn from other countries? Are we still fighting King George III, who taxed us unfairly so that, terrible irony, we now tax our dutiful, decent, ordinary Americans unfairly?

It's high time to stop claiming we are the greatest and address our shortcomings like reasonable, mature people so that we really can be the greatest.

Heidi Dawidoff

Francestown

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