Matthew Dowd: We aren't in top ten on quality of life, happiness, freedom, economic equality, education, and democracy.

[Dennis Donovan]

Matthew Dowd
‪@matthewjdowd.bsky.social‬
I love my country, but can we finally put an end to the "America is the greatest country on Earth" mantra. It is simply not true on any metric. We aren't in top ten on quality of life, happiness, freedom, economic equality, education, and democracy. And witnessing yesterday is overwhelming proof.
January 21, 2025 at 10:46 AM

No words to add...

https://bsky.app/profile/matthewjdowd.bsky.social/post/3lgb75hl4ek2b

[ck4829]

1. We have the best prisoners in the world. We have the best people going bankrupt from medical bills in the world.

We have the best mass shooting victims in the world.

Why doesn't Matthew Dowd want to use those metrics, huh? Huh?

[sop]

4. And we have the best billionaires.

[dchill]

2. The answer is no, we can't put an end to it...

...any more than we can put an end to fake news, MAGA or billionaires.

[ck4829]

7. Why not? Why can't we put an end to it?

What exactly puts them on par with gravity or the laws of thermodynamics?

If this forum was around in 1850, would this reply instead be...

The answer is no, we can't put an end to it...

...any more than we can put an end to slavery.

And if not? Why do anything? Why live?

[dchill]

24. There was no Fox News in 1850. There was no TwiX.

I'm just afraid, seriously, that it will take longer than we have. Why live? Don't put that on me!

[Johnny2X2X]

3. Here's the thing

People will poo poo a lot of this stuff with things like, "Well, we're never going to be Finland because..." Finland should be looking at us in envy, we have a bigger economy, there is more welath here than in Finland, it's just more concentrated in the hands of the elites.

The US can remain the biggest and best economy and do everything that Finland does for their citizens and more. We can afford a robust social safety net, early retirement in dignity for all, good schools for all, universal health care for all, the best infrastructure, paid family leave, mandatory vacation and sick time, living wages etc etc. But the top 1/10th of 1% prevent it all from happening here, because they want it all for themselves. It;s not enough to be obsenely rich for them, they want to be so absurdly rich than no group has ever lived like them, held as much power as them, or owned as much stuff as them. Greed is stopping us from being great.

And the entire country was justy handed over to the greediest of the greedy. They want it all. Everything the middle class has and has worked for, the billionaire class wants for themselves and they've installed Trump to give it to them.

[travelingthrulife]

6. My 99 year old Dad some months before he died: "The rich are going to destroy this country."

[GoodRaisin]

18. Very well stated. NT

[enid602]

5. Comparison

God, i wish people would stop doing this. They compare us to the ‘best’ countries, but don’t explain that the reason for this is that Europe (unlike the US) is not a single, unified country. Would Lichtenstein, Monte Carlo, Andorra etc really be the best if Marin County or southern Orange County (CA) or Westchester County were considered independent countries? How would Paradise Valley (AZ), Santa Barbara or Darrien or Greenwich fare?

[Lonestarblue]

8. While Europe is made up of many countries, it seems fair to compare the effects of policies in different countries.

The US is made up of many states and we compare those states all the time on many different metrics. Such comparisons can be enlightening.

[ck4829]

9. Then people should stop saying we're the best

Best needs to mean something, words have meaning is what I am told.

What's our healthcare like in comparison to the other G7 countries, other NATO countries, other UN security council members?

If we don't want to invite comparisons, then we should order all maps and globes we have to have countries other than the US painted blue and pretend we're the only country in the world, everything else is just water.

[republianmushroom]

10. Nope, we be'es a banana republic now.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

11. I haven't loved it since I was in high school and I graduated almost 55 years ago.

When has the U.S. ever not been fucked up? Sometimes less fucked up than others (such as when Democrats are in power), but it has never not been racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, and steeped in harmful and controlling religious bullshit. Not to mention having a poor memory for its violence and hate-filled history.

Just because I was born here and live here doesn't require me to love it. And just because it is not unique among countries in the attributes I mentioned doesn't give it a pass either.

And now with the re-election of Trump, I positively hate it.

[Ping Tung]

12. But...but...we're ranked 1st in healthcare cost.........and 69th in health care.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19928827

[Ocelot II]

13. Here's that great clip from The Newsroom:

&t=288s

[HUAJIAO]

19. I was just revisiting that the other day.. Priceless !!

[Simeon Salus]

14. I have words to add: Matthew Dowd is and will always be a paid partisan pollster for the right!

Isn't this the same Matthew Dowd whose Jethro Bush campaign ran the swift boat ads against John Kerry in 2004?

Remember the band-aids? His doing.

The pollster who single-handedly decided gay marriage should be the central focus of the 2004 GOP national re-election campaign?

He did this to mislead the public that our illegal war in Iraq wasn't important.

He didn't leave Bush until 2007. Two years after Katrina.

These days he's grifting off of what's left of the mainstream media. Don't believe a word he said isn't poll tested first.

As the clip above shows, over a dozen years ago TRUE liberal writer Aaron Sorkin and TRUE liberal actor Jeff Daniels said something because they saw something.

[Nasruddin]

15. Take the allies you can get

At this point purity tests aren't going to help

[Baron2024]

17. Right On

We have Republican allies like Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, anti-Trump former Republicans like the people at the Lincoln Project, the folks over at the Bulwark. There are a number of them. As you say, take your allies where you can get them.

[Ocelot II]

20. The enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend, but

sometimes he can be a useful ally.

[MFM008]

21. STFU MODO

Your responsible for this shit show for not doing your job.

[hot2na]

22. While we are at it please stop wiith "He's the leader of the free world"

I read an article yesterday where somone refered to trump as the leader of the free world. I always hated that referece but especially now, he is so NOT the leader of the free world.

[bdamomma]

23. Elections

have consequences. Now those who voted for the felon or did not vote at all, how's that make you feel?????

We are going to be an isolated and authoritarian country.