In American culture, we are so fixated upon our luminaries that we sometimes lose sight of the actual people who make up the culture

While it is true that the accomplishments of these great people can be an indicator of greatness, there are many arguments to be made against this claim. Proponents might cite the fact that the United States is the wealthiest country in the world, yet its well-being is touted by detractors as being in poor shape. Though the United States certainly possesses many wealthy citizens, their wealth is gathered at the expense of others. As a result, the United States’ wealth has no bearing on the well-being of its people. In fact, such wealth, while impressive, is hardly indicative of a nation’s greatness

The most compelling reason against this claim is the widely held belief that a nation is measured by its quality of life. In many countries, it is the quality of life that distinguishes nations from each other, and it is this quality that the American people pride themselves on. However, the United States’ quality of life cannot be measured without taking into consideration the inequalities present in the country. As Thomas Piketty has noted, the United States’ wealth is concentrated in a select few hands. The richest one-hundredth of one percent of the population owns 40 percent of the country’s wealth, while the poorest one-hundredth owns a mere 2.4 percent. The poor and middle class must fight desperately for what little wealth they have, and this struggle significantly impacts their quality of life

The United States’ inequality also prevents it from achieving true greatness. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has pointed out, wealth inequality leads to income inequality. Inequality in income and wealth between nations results in a state of inequality in opportunity and life. Inequality in opportunities leads to inequality in prospects, and inequality in life leads to inequality between generations. This vicious cycle has led the United States to have the lowest intergenerational mobility of any developed nation in the world. As a result, many poor and middle-class Americans remain stuck in their socioeconomic position, while their parents, grandparents, and earlier generations, who have worked harded to improve their status, are living lives of luxury. This cycle also results in less-qualified Americans being unable to realize their God-given potential. Not least, the United States’ inequality leads to extreme societal animosities that disrupt the cohesiveness of the populace

Proponents might also argue that the United States’ citizens have more freedom than citizens of other nations. Although it is true that Americans have more freedom than the citizens of many other nations, this freedom comes at a price. Americans enjoy more liberty than citizens of other countries, but their freedom comes at the expense of political freedom. The rights guaranteed to citizens in the U.S. Constitution are basic liberties, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. These rights, however, must be balanced with the rights of the government. The Supreme Court has consistently used its enumerated powers to uphold the prerogatives of the government at the expense of the rights of the people. For example, the Court has ruled that corporations are people and, as such, have the right to free speech and to political donation. Furthermore, the Court has increasingly ruled in favor of corporations at the expense of individuals, such as in the case of Citizens United, which effectively gave corporations unlimited rights to political donations. In the near term, these court decisions will hinder the realization of freedom in the United States. In the long term, however, these rulings will lead to the further erosion of people’s rights

Proponents might also argue that as citizens, Americans have less responsibility than citizens of other countries. After all, Americans do not bear the burden of reparations for slavery. However, the United States has a dark history of colonization, and other nations, such as Germany, have also exploited their colonies. Neither Germany nor any other nations has apologized for the atrocities committed during their colonization. Furthermore, the United States has an appalling record of human rights abuses, especially against people of color. These abuses, which have included slavery, segregation, and internment, have been overshadowed by the atrocities committed by other nations, such as Germany. Consequently, our dark history, while not excusing our treatment of other nations, does mitigate the responsibility we have as Americans

Finally, the United States’ wealth is collectively owned, and this ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few, so it cannot be leveraged to benefit all citizens. This claim is true in absolute terms, but in relative terms, the United States’ wealth is shared by a widespread minority of citizens. The wealthiest one-hundredth of one percent of the population owns 40 percent of the country’s wealth, while the poorest one-hundredth owns a mere 2.4 percent. Furthermore, this wealth is concentrated in the hands of those in positions of power, such as corporations and those in government. As a result, wealth does not trickle down to the general population, but rather flows upwards, largely to a select few

In conclusion, though it is true that the accomplishments of the country’s greats, such as its scientists and artists, are indicators of greatness, there are many arguments to be made against this claim. The United States’ wealth is dispersed among a widespread minority of its citizens, so it cannot be leveraged to benefit all citizens. Furthermore, the United States has abused its many natural resources, and it has a sordid history of colonization and human rights abuses. These factors, and others, prevent the United States from achieving true greatness.