The True State of the Union
President Obama is delivering his last State of the Union address this month, signaling the final laps of the long Presidential campaign marathon. It’s been mandatory for all candidates to extol the greatness of America and promise to keep the USA on top of the world. But some statistics belie our extreme patriotism:
Out of 35 countries surveyed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), we rank 34th in percentage of children living in poverty. In reading, our children place 17th, in science 20th and in math 27th. Our healthcare system ranks 33rd in the world. We have the fourth highest income inequality (behind only Turkey, Chile and Mexico) and land at 17th in the happiness index. But we are still number one in some areas: per capita prison population, military spending and the most gun deaths of any developed country.
