Blog - David Helkowski
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USA: Destination Hell

I am a US citizen. I don't, though, live in the US. I reside in Japan, and I intend to do so permanently. There are a few major reasons why:

The third point is the point this post will focus on. There are too many reasons why I don't love the US. A random few of them:

This post will focus on the last of those, that the US is crumbling, and, essentially, headed to hell.

I don't believe in hell, because I don't believe that "burning humans eternally in hell" has any justification, and the concept of hell is just disgusting to me. That's an aside though. For the purposes of discussion "headed to hell" just means "it's getting terrible."

I've come up with 40+ points of US failure. I will present each briefly for you to consider. Each point really deserves detailed analysis, research, and defense, as their validity may not be immediately obvious. You may think I'm just making up many of them and that many of them are false. It's okay if you don't agree. My point in sharing these is for you to consider the state of the US, and hopefully to do something to move away from the US being this way.

If you agree a point is a problem, that's both good and bad. It's good because it means you do see the issue and can work towards solving it. It's bad because these are real issues that degrade the US and make it a place I don't want to live in or be associated with.

1. The Government is mismanaged - Shuts down even

This is the point that got me started thinking about this once more. That the government is "shutting down" ( for any amount of time ) is just ridiculous and shows, to me, that it is badly mismanaged.

For most of my points I'm going to frame them as mockery of the US as the "best country", because, well, that's the general claim and notion of many people from the US and it is absurd to me.

Only in the “best country” does the government routinely grind to a halt because adults can’t agree on a budget. Other democracies argue; the U.S. literally stops paying workers.

2. Crumbling Infrastructure

I choose to live in Japan, and think Japan is awesome, so I'll also be comparing the US to Japan in many of these points.

While Japan builds maglev trains and Europe has modern transit, America can’t keep a single bridge in Baltimore standing. “Best” countries don’t drive on potholes that feel like war zones.

3. Healthcare Horror

The richest nation charges $10k for a hospital visit, bankrupts people for insulin, and still has lower life expectancy than peers. Meanwhile, other countries just… go to the doctor.

4. Education Collapse

Public schools are underfunded, universities are debt traps, and global rankings show U.S. students lagging. “Best” should mean leading, not babysitting kids into lifelong debt.

5. Corporate Feudalism

The U.S. is run less by citizens than by Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, and the defense industry. Politicians serve donors; regular people are just data and labor to be harvested.

6. Prison Nation

America locks up more people per capita than any dictatorship on Earth — for profit. “Land of the free” has the largest inmate population anywhere.

7. Fake Freedom

Yes, you can buy 37 flavors of Doritos, but try living without a credit score, health insurance, or constant surveillance. Freedom’s branding, not reality.

Weirdly you can't buy 37 flavors of Kit Kats. You can only do that in Japan.

8. Dysfunctional Democracy

Gerrymandering, voter suppression, a two-party duopoly, and billion-dollar elections — that’s not democracy, it’s an oligarchy with better marketing.

9. Cultural Rot

Entertainment dominates while society stagnates: endless superhero reboots, influencers selling junk, and a culture of distraction while the basics fall apart. Rome with TikTok.

10. Global Joke

Every shutdown, school shooting, healthcare horror, or infrastructure failure makes headlines worldwide. The U.S. insists it’s “number one” while the rest of the planet shakes its head.

11. Mass Homelessness

The U.S. has sprawling tent cities under highways, people living in cars, and kids going to school from shelters — in the “richest nation on Earth.” Other advanced countries have homelessness too, but not at this systemic, normalized scale. “Best” doesn’t mean stepping over human beings on your way to work.

12. Suburban Dead Zones

Entire regions designed around endless single-family houses, no sidewalks, no local jobs, no stores — just miles of asphalt and drive-thrus. If you don’t own a car, you don’t exist. Other countries build communities; the U.S. builds isolation chambers with mortgages.

13. Drugged Nation

The U.S. leads the world in both prescription drug abuse and illegal overdoses. Big Pharma flooded entire towns with opioids, millions got hooked, and now fentanyl wipes out tens of thousands every year. Instead of fixing the root causes, the system profits from addiction and criminalizes the addicted. “Best” doesn’t mean your citizens need numbing just to get through daily life.

14. Gun Carnage

More guns than people, mass shootings so frequent they barely make the news, kids doing active-shooter drills in kindergarten — that’s not freedom, it’s trauma on repeat. Other countries have hunters and gun owners too, but only in the U.S. is daily slaughter treated as a cultural feature. “Best” shouldn’t mean “pray you don’t get shot buying groceries.”

15. Child Abuse Epidemic

The U.S. records hundreds of thousands of confirmed child abuse cases every year — physical, sexual, emotional, neglect. For all its talk of “family values,” the system fails kids on a massive scale. Foster care is overloaded, social services underfunded, and many children cycle through abuse → poverty → prison. A “best country” doesn’t let generation after generation of kids grow up broken and discarded.

16. No Trains for You

The U.S. has 330 million people but barely any functional passenger rail. Japan, with a fraction of the population, runs bullet trains that arrive to the second. Europe’s web of high-speed and regional trains connects nearly every city. Meanwhile, Americans are crammed into cars or delayed at airports because “freedom” apparently means no alternatives. “Best” shouldn’t mean stuck in traffic for half your life.

17. Energy Gluttony

The U.S. wastes staggering amounts of power. Homes and offices run massive central A/C units blasting whole buildings instead of efficient split systems common in Asia and Europe. Cars guzzle gas because public transit is gutted. Per capita energy use is double or triple other advanced countries. “Best” should mean smart and sustainable, not burning the planet just to keep the living room chilly.

18. Tip Tyranny

In the U.S., workers rely on tips just to survive, because employers pay sub-minimum wages. Customers are guilted into supplementing payrolls — at restaurants, coffee shops, even self-checkout screens now. Other countries just… pay people properly. “Best” shouldn’t mean every small transaction comes with a side of moral hostage-taking.

19. Curfew Culture

In the “freest country on earth,” entire cities regularly impose curfews — for protests, for teens, sometimes just to keep control when the system feels shaky. Cops enforce them with armored vehicles like it’s a war zone. Meanwhile, people still boast about liberty. “Best” shouldn’t mean bedtime by government order.

20. Criminalized Childhood

In the U.S., kids can’t even walk to school or play outside alone without risking a police visit or their parents being charged with neglect. Entire childhood freedoms — biking to a friend’s house, roaming a park, walking to the corner store — are treated as crimes. Other countries see independence as healthy; America treats it as dangerous. “Best” shouldn’t mean raising kids in cages of fear.

21. Postal Collapse

Once the backbone of American communication, the U.S. Postal Service is now gutted by underfunding, political sabotage, and inefficiency. Mail is delayed for weeks, rural areas are abandoned, and basic services that other countries handle smoothly are falling apart. “Best” shouldn’t mean your citizens can’t even trust a letter or package to arrive on time.

22. Empty Bank Accounts

In the U.S., even people with full-time jobs often live paycheck to paycheck. Wages lag behind housing, healthcare, and education costs, so income vanishes before it ever settles in a bank account. Savings rates are among the lowest in the developed world. “Best” shouldn’t mean millions of workers can’t cover a $400 emergency without going into debt.

23. Mountains of Trash

The U.S. produces more waste per person than any other major country — plastic, food, packaging, e-waste. Recycling is a joke: most “recycled” plastic ends up in landfills or shipped overseas. The average American creates over 2 kg of garbage per day. “Best” shouldn’t mean burying the planet in your leftovers.

24. Intelligence Taxed

In the U.S., getting smarter costs you more than anywhere else. Bright students pay obscene tuition, bury themselves in debt, and often come out no more employable than before. Other countries see education as an investment; America treats it as a luxury product. The ratio of national IQ potential to the cost of unlocking it is upside-down. “Best” shouldn’t mean pricing knowledge out of reach.

25. Pay-to-Win Intelligence

In the U.S., IQ is not stable across classes because raising it requires massive spending on education, nutrition, and enrichment. Wealthy families can “buy IQ” for their kids — private schools, tutors, coaches — while poor kids are left behind in underfunded schools. The cost-per-IQ-point is astronomical compared to other nations. “Best” shouldn’t mean intelligence itself is a gated commodity.

26. Childcare Extortion

In the U.S., childcare can eat 20–30% of a family’s income — sometimes more than rent. Parents are forced to choose between working just to pay for daycare, or quitting jobs and sinking further into poverty. In many states, full-time childcare costs more than a year of college tuition. Other wealthy nations subsidize childcare heavily; America calls it “your problem.” “Best” shouldn’t mean raising kids is financially ruinous.

27. Time Bankrupt Families

In the U.S., parents spend fewer hours with their children than in almost any other developed country. Long commutes, multiple jobs, and punishing workweeks mean kids are raised by screens, schools, or strangers. Wealthier families can “buy time” through nannies and tutors; poorer families can’t. Other nations design systems where parents actually raise their kids. “Best” shouldn’t mean trading your children’s childhood for survival shifts.

28. Mall Graveyards

In the past 15 years, over a quarter of U.S. shopping malls have closed, and hundreds more are dying slow deaths — hollow shells with a few dollar stores and empty food courts. Once symbols of prosperity and community, malls now rot into zombie real estate. Other countries modernized retail with vibrant mixed-use spaces; America paved over farmland for temples of consumption, then abandoned them. “Best” shouldn’t mean your national monuments are ruins of failed shopping centers.

29. Erased History

In the last decade, thousands of statues and monuments across the U.S. have been defaced, torn down, or quietly removed. Some were toppled in protest, others stripped away by governments eager to avoid controversy. Whatever the motive, the result is the same: a society so fractured it can’t even decide what history is safe to remember. Other nations preserve their heritage (even the ugly parts) as a record; America smashes its artifacts like a culture with amnesia. “Best” shouldn’t mean rewriting your story every election cycle.

30. Obesity Nation

The U.S. has the highest obesity rates in the developed world — nearly half the population is overweight or obese. Cheap junk food is everywhere, healthy food is expensive, and sedentary lifestyles are baked into car-centric sprawl. The medical system profits off treating the consequences instead of fixing the causes. Other countries walk, bike, and eat real food; America supersizes itself into early graves. “Best” shouldn’t mean shortening your citizens’ lives with a drive-thru.

31. World’s Greediest Energy Hog

Across oil, gas, coal, and electricity, the U.S. guzzles more energy per person than almost any other nation on Earth. Americans use over four times the global average — living in oversized houses, driving oversized cars, and blasting oversized A/C systems. The country burns through resources not because it must, but because waste is normalized. “Best” shouldn’t mean setting the planet on fire so you can refrigerate an empty McMansion.

32. Asphalt Empire

The U.S. has more paved roads and parking lots per person than any nation on Earth — entire cities drowned in asphalt. Highways slice communities apart, parking lots sprawl wider than buildings, and pedestrians are treated like intruders. Other countries invest in rail, cycling, and walkable streets; America just pours more concrete. “Best” shouldn’t mean every citizen is allocated a personal patch of crumbling highway.

33. Paved Over Paradise

The U.S. has paved over hundreds of thousands of square miles for roads, suburbs, and parking lots — while its forest cover keeps shrinking. The ratio of paved land to forested land grows worse every year. Other countries carefully balance development with conservation; America bulldozes first, regrets later. “Best” shouldn’t mean trading living ecosystems for strip malls and six-lane highways.

34. Blinded by Lights

The U.S. is one of the most light-polluted nations on Earth. Entire generations grow up never seeing the Milky Way, just the glow of strip malls and freeways. Wildlife suffers, sleep cycles are disrupted, and the stars — humanity’s most ancient compass — are erased by neon signs and suburban floodlights. Other countries guard dark-sky reserves; America floods its skies with waste. “Best” shouldn’t mean being cut off from the universe itself.

35. No Rest for the Weary

The U.S. is the only advanced nation with no guaranteed paid vacation and only a handful of public holidays. On average, Americans get about 10 days off per year, compared to 20–30 in Europe, plus extra cultural holidays elsewhere. Workers are guilted into skipping even the few days they have, for fear of being replaced. “Best” shouldn’t mean living to work while the rest of the world works to live.

36. Drowned in Laws

The U.S. Code alone has tens of thousands of federal laws. Add to that hundreds of thousands of regulations, plus 50 states each with their own dense codes, and then counties and cities piling on more. Ordinary citizens can’t possibly know them all — yet they’re punished for breaking them. Other countries streamline; America litigates. “Best” shouldn’t mean a society where freedom exists only in theory, buried under a mountain of fine print.

37. Life as a Legal Case

In the U.S., people spend staggering amounts of time entangled with the legal system — traffic court, jury duty, small claims, landlord disputes, endless contracts, taxes, lawsuits, compliance forms, custody battles. If you add it up, the average American spends dozens of hours a year just navigating laws, rules, and courts. Other countries simplify; America makes legality a full-time side job. “Best” shouldn’t mean every citizen is treated like a defendant-in-waiting.

38. Mountains of Wasted Food

The U.S. throws away an obscene amount of food — about 400–500 grams per person per day, when restaurant, grocery, and farm waste are included. That’s billions of pounds a year, enough to feed entire countries, while millions of Americans go hungry. Other nations also waste food, but few on this scale, with so little effort to redirect surplus. “Best” shouldn’t mean dumpsters full of meals behind every supermarket while children go to bed starving.

39. Bread and Circuses

Americans spend a huge share of their disposable income on entertainment — streaming, sports, concerts, video games, theme parks — even while struggling to cover rent, healthcare, or food. It’s not joy, it’s escape: a coping mechanism for lives otherwise crushed by overwork and insecurity. Other countries treat leisure as part of balanced living; America commodifies fun into monthly bills. “Best” shouldn’t mean distracting your citizens from collapse with Netflix and stadium lights.

40. Nation of Breakdown

The U.S. has some of the highest rates of serious mental illness, depression, and anxiety in the developed world. Around 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness each year, and suicide rates keep climbing. The causes aren’t mysterious: crushing debt, isolation, overwork, hollow communities, healthcare barriers, and nonstop cultural pressure. Other nations invest in stability and social safety; America leaves millions medicated, burned out, or broken. “Best” shouldn’t mean a society where despair is the baseline.

41. Fast Fashion Graveyard

Americans throw away an average of 80–100 pounds of clothing per person every year. Perfectly usable garments pile up in landfills while overseas sweatshops churn out more disposable fashion. Thrift stores are overflowing, recycling programs barely scratch the surface, and corporations profit from endless churn. Other nations manage slower, more durable consumption; America buries itself in polyester mountains. “Best” shouldn’t mean treating your wardrobe like fast food wrappers.

42. Water Waste per Person

The U.S. uses hundreds of liters more per day than most developed nations, flushing drinkable water into lawns and golf courses.

43. Food Miles per Meal

The average U.S. dinner plate racks up massive transport emissions compared to local food systems elsewhere.

44. Minimum Wage vs. Median Rent

In no state can a minimum-wage worker afford a one-bedroom apartment without working insane hours.

45. Infant Mortality Rate

Higher than most developed countries, despite sky-high healthcare spending.

46. Life Expectancy vs. Healthcare Cost

Americans pay the most for care, yet live shorter lives than peers in Europe or Asia.

47. Vacant Homes vs. Homeless People

Millions of empty housing units, yet hundreds of thousands sleep on the streets.

48. Average Commute Time

Longest among rich nations, devouring hours of life every week.

49. Square Feet per Person in Housing

U.S. homes are far bigger than global averages, but filled with debt and loneliness.

50. Police Killings per Million

Far higher than in other democracies.

51. Incarceration Rate per Capita

Already mentioned prisons in general, but the raw per-person ratio compared to any other nation is damning.

52. Wealth Inequality Ratio (Top 1% vs. Bottom 50%)

Among the most extreme in the developed world.

53. Advertising Impressions per Person per Day

Thousands, conditioning citizens to live as consumers, not people.

54. Guns vs. Books Ratio

More gun stores than bookstores in many states.

55. Fast Food Meals per Person per Year

Outpaces almost every other nation, fueling the obesity crisis.

56. Billboards Everywhere

The U.S. drowns its landscape in billboards — highways, city streets, even rural backroads. Per capita, Americans see far more outdoor ads than citizens of most developed countries, where billboards are heavily restricted or banned outright. The national scenery isn’t mountains or forests — it’s endless “Buy Now” signs. “Best” shouldn’t mean your country looks like one giant strip mall.

57. Strip Club Nation

The U.S. has one of the highest densities of strip clubs and adult entertainment venues per person in the world — thousands of them, often clustered around military bases, highways, and even small towns. At the same time, the culture pretends to be puritanical, shaming sex while spending billions on it. Other countries are at least honest about pleasure industries; America hides it behind neon. “Best” shouldn’t mean preaching virtue while strip malls double as strip clubs.

58. Nation on Weed

The U.S. now consumes millions of pounds of cannabis every year, with per-capita use among the highest in the world. What’s ironic is the split: some states have thriving legal industries, while others still throw people in prison for possession. Other nations either regulate coherently or don’t obsess over it at all. America monetizes and criminalizes the same plant simultaneously. “Best” shouldn’t mean profiting off half your citizens while jailing the rest.

59. Broken Marriages

The U.S. has one of the highest divorce rates in the developed world — close to 40–45% of marriages end in divorce. For a nation that markets itself as the defender of family and traditional values, the reality is fractured households, custody battles, and unstable homes. Other countries face divorce too, but not at this industrial scale. “Best” shouldn’t mean your most sacred institution fails nearly half the time.

60. Early Sex, Late Honesty

Despite preaching abstinence and “family values,” the U.S. has one of the lowest ages of first sexual encounter among developed nations — often mid-teens — paired with some of the worst sex education. The result is high teen pregnancy rates, rampant misinformation, and hypocrisy: a culture that shames sex while teenagers are already having it in secret. Other countries with comprehensive sex ed see safer, healthier outcomes. “Best” shouldn’t mean lying to kids while they figure it out anyway.

61. Everyone a Criminal

In the U.S., surveys show that a huge percentage of people — well over 70% — admit to breaking at least one law in the past month that they knew was illegal. Jaywalking, speeding, unlicensed software, small drug possession, drinking infractions — the list goes on. When lawbreaking is this universal, it means the legal system isn’t about justice, it’s about selective enforcement. Other countries streamline; America criminalizes daily life. “Best” shouldn’t mean every citizen lives one cop’s whim away from punishment.

62. Vanishing Small Business

The U.S. loves to brand itself as the land of entrepreneurs, but the number of small businesses per capita has been shrinking for decades. Consolidation by giant corporations and suffocating regulation leaves fewer mom-and-pop shops per person than in many other countries. Whole towns end up with nothing but Walmart, Amazon warehouses, and fast-food chains. “Best” shouldn’t mean the death of independence under corporate feudalism.

63. The Ownership Myth

In the U.S., a shrinking percentage of housing is truly owned by the people who live in it. Most “homeowners” are really paying banks through mortgages, while an increasing share of properties are snapped up by corporations and landlords to rent out. The fraction of fully-owned, debt-free homes is alarmingly low compared to many other nations. “Best” shouldn’t mean your ‘American Dream’ is just renting from Wells Fargo or BlackRock.

64. A Nation That Doesn’t Read

In the U.S., the average person reads only a handful of books per year — translating to shockingly few words compared to people in Europe or Asia. Surveys show many adults don’t finish even one book annually. Instead, hours vanish into TV, TikTok, and doomscrolling. A country that calls itself the “best” can’t even keep its citizens literate in long form. “Best” shouldn’t mean starving your mind while feeding endlessly on junk media.

65. Slow Fingers, Slower Minds

In the U.S., the average adult typing speed after finishing school is only around 35–40 words per minute — barely functional for an information economy. Many can’t touch-type at all, relying on hunt-and-peck methods. Compare that to countries where computer literacy and fast typing are treated as essential, and the U.S. looks like it’s falling behind at the most basic level. “Best” shouldn’t mean your workforce types like it’s still 1910.

66. Lagging Online

In the U.S., average internet speeds in major cities are often slower than in South Korea, Japan, much of Europe — even parts of Eastern Europe. Prices, meanwhile, are among the highest in the world. Oligopoly ISPs pocket profits while delivering mediocre service, leaving millions stuck with spotty connections. Other countries treat fast internet as infrastructure; America treats it as a luxury. “Best” shouldn’t mean buffering in the middle of a city that calls itself advanced.

67. Rusted Giant

U.S. steel production per person has collapsed compared to its past and lags far behind countries like China, South Korea, and even smaller industrial nations. The average American’s share of steel output is a fraction of what it was mid-20th century, when the U.S. actually built things. Today, bridges crumble while imports fill the gap. “Best” shouldn’t mean outsourcing your backbone and pretending service apps can replace steel mills.

68. Burger-Priced Tunnels

In the U.S., building a mile of road tunnel can cost billions of dollars — far more than in Europe or Asia. Translated into Big Macs, a single mile of tunnel can equal tens of millions of burgers. Other countries dig entire subway lines for the price America pays to bore a short stretch of highway. “Best” shouldn’t mean every infrastructure project costs a mountain of burgers because corruption and inefficiency eat the budget first.

69. Farmland for the Few

In the U.S., the percentage of farmland truly owned outright by individuals — without mortgages or corporate landlords — has plummeted. Increasingly, farmland is controlled by agribusiness giants, investors, or banks holding the paper. The family farm, once a mythic backbone, is now a sliver. Other countries still protect independent farmers; America consolidates fields into corporate spreadsheets. “Best” shouldn’t mean the breadbasket is mortgaged to death and harvested for Wall Street.

70. Elevator Nation

The average American climbs only a handful of stairs per day — often fewer than 20 steps — thanks to car dependence, elevators, escalators, and sprawling single-story suburbs. Compare that to walkable nations where people regularly climb hundreds of steps without thinking about it. The result: weaker bodies, higher obesity, and worse cardiovascular health. “Best” shouldn’t mean designing a society where the only stairs people take are at the gym — if they even go.

71. Nation That Doesn’t Pedal

The average American bikes close to zero miles per day — often less than a mile per week. In the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and even parts of Germany, biking is a standard daily mode of transport, with averages many times higher. In the U.S., bikes are treated as toys or fitness gear, not serious transit. “Best” shouldn’t mean designing cities where pedaling to work is considered suicidal.

72. Liquid Sugar Diet

Americans drink on average over a pound of sugar every week — mostly from soda, energy drinks, and corn-syrup-laced beverages. That’s about 2–3 ounces of pure sugar per day flowing straight into the bloodstream. Other countries consume sugary drinks too, but not at this industrial scale. “Best” shouldn’t mean replacing water with diabetes in a bottle.

73. Teeth for the Rich

In the U.S., dental care is so expensive that millions simply skip it. A single crown can cost $1,000+, braces run into the tens of thousands, and even basic cleanings are unaffordable for many. Dental insurance is rare and usually inadequate. Other nations include dental in universal healthcare or keep costs reasonable. “Best” shouldn’t mean your citizens lose their teeth if they aren’t wealthy.

74. Manufactured Bodies

The U.S. has one of the highest rates of cosmetic surgery in the world, including breast augmentation, with hundreds of thousands of procedures performed each year. A significant percentage of women undergo it at some point in their lives — normalized to the point of being routine. Other nations have cosmetic culture too, but not at this industrial scale. “Best” shouldn’t mean your society pressures people into surgical upgrades just to feel acceptable.

75. Push-Up Collapse

The average white-collar U.S. office worker can barely do 5–10 push-ups — if any at all. Sedentary desk life, junk diets, and zero physical culture have left an entire workforce soft and fragile. Compare that to militaries, schools, or even average workers in other nations where basic strength is expected. “Best” shouldn’t mean collapsing on the floor after three push-ups.

76. The Gym Illusion

If you remove “gym fans” — the minority who actually work out — the average American white-collar worker sinks even lower: many can’t do a single clean push-up. The illusion of national fitness survives only because a subculture of enthusiasts props up the averages. Without them, the reality is a population physically incapable of basic strength. “Best” shouldn’t mean bragging about athletes while the majority can’t lift their own body weight once.

77. Mile of Shame

For the average American adult, running a single mile without stopping is nearly impossible. Many can’t finish it at all; others take 12–15 minutes and collapse afterward. In countries where walking, biking, and active transit are normal, a mile is barely worth mentioning. In the U.S., it’s a fitness benchmark people “train for.” “Best” shouldn’t mean your citizens treat one mile like a marathon.

78. Sugared to Death

Plain tea — just leaves and hot water — is barely consumed in the U.S. Almost all “tea” is bottled sugar water, “sweet tea,” or flavored concoctions. Per capita, Americans drink tiny fractions of the plain tea that people in Asia or even Europe consume daily. The U.S. simply can’t handle something subtle, natural, and unadorned. “Best” shouldn’t mean being unable to drink tea without turning it into liquid candy.

79. Screen-Bound Society

The average American spends 7–10 hours per day staring at screens — phones, TVs, computers, tablets. That’s most waking life. Kids rack up even more, often before they can read. Instead of community, exploration, or skill, the U.S. exports endless scrolling and binge-watching. Other nations also grapple with screen addiction, but few at this depth and scale. “Best” shouldn’t mean living life through glass while the real world crumbles outside.

80. Golden Coffee

In the U.S., a single café coffee often costs $3–6. Translated into gold, that’s about 0.001–0.002 ounces — a shocking ratio when multiplied out. A month of daily lattes adds up to the weight of a gold coin. Other countries manage to keep coffee affordable and communal; America inflates it into a luxury habit. “Best” shouldn’t mean your citizens trade chunks of gold dust just to stay awake for another day at the grind.

81. Shrinking Vocabulary

The average American adult actively uses only about 20,000 words, while English has hundreds of thousands. Worse, studies show vocabulary size is shrinking with each generation, reduced by screen time, shallow reading, and the death of serious education. In comparison, past generations — and peers in nations with stronger reading cultures — command far richer vocabularies. “Best” shouldn’t mean your language contracts into sound bites, memes, and marketing slogans.

82. Can’t Drive Stick

In the U.S., fewer than 20% of drivers can operate a manual transmission, and the number keeps falling. In Europe, Asia, and much of the world, it’s still a baseline skill. Americans are so car-dependent, yet can’t even fully drive the machines they worship. “Best” shouldn’t mean a nation of drivers who stall out if given three pedals.

83. Sinking Nation

A shocking percentage of Americans — about 54% — cannot swim well enough to save their own life. Many can’t swim at all. In a country surrounded by oceans, covered in lakes and rivers, with millions of private pools, drowning remains a leading cause of accidental death. Other nations treat swimming as a standard childhood skill; America leaves half its citizens flailing. “Best” shouldn’t mean sinking in three feet of water.

84. Lost Without GPS

Most Americans are unable to reach a destination even 10 miles away without a phone, GPS, or highways. Local geography is a blur of strip malls and subdivisions with no landmarks, and car culture has erased natural sense of place. Other nations still raise citizens who can navigate by memory, terrain, or transit maps. In the U.S., take away the screen, and people are stranded in their own hometowns. “Best” shouldn’t mean helpless outside a glowing blue arrow.

85. Stranger Next Door

In the U.S., a shocking number of people go months without speaking to a single neighbor. Suburban design, car dependence, and fear-driven culture mean Americans often don’t know the names of the people living beside them. Surveys show fewer than half regularly interact with neighbors, compared to far higher rates in Europe, Asia, or Latin America. “Best” shouldn’t mean living yards apart yet worlds away.

86. No Time for Community

Voluntary community service in the U.S. is strikingly low — most “service hours” come from school requirements, court mandates, or corporate PR. When you look only at true voluntary participation, the average American contributes just a handful of hours per year, far less than citizens in countries with stronger civic culture. “Best” shouldn’t mean people only help their neighbors when a judge or boss makes them.

87. Soil-Free Society

In the U.S., very few people grow any of their own food. Outside of farmers, the percentage of households maintaining gardens, fruit trees, or edible plants is tiny — and mostly hobby-scale. In many countries, even city families keep balcony gardens, herbs, or community plots. America outsources everything to agribusiness and grocery chains. “Best” shouldn’t mean being unable to sprout a tomato without YouTube.

88. Wrinkled Nation

In the U.S., a surprising number of adults don’t know how to iron a shirt properly — or own an iron at all. Fast fashion, dryer “wrinkle release,” and a culture of disposability mean basic clothing care skills have vanished. In many other countries, pressing clothes is still a normal part of daily life. “Best” shouldn’t mean showing up to work looking like you slept in the laundry pile.

89. Threadbare Skills

Most Americans can’t even sew a simple stitch by hand — to fix a button, patch a tear, or repair a seam. Instead, clothes are tossed and replaced, feeding mountains of textile waste. In much of the world, this is a baseline life skill. “Best” shouldn’t mean being helpless in front of a needle and thread.

90. Men Who Can’t Sew

In the U.S., most men can’t even sew a button back onto their own shirt, let alone patch a small tear. A basic life skill that once kept clothes lasting years is now dismissed as “women’s work.” Instead, shirts get tossed, wardrobes replaced, and dependency deepens. In much of the world, men still carry needles, mend gear, or at least know how. “Best” shouldn’t mean a generation of men undone by a missing button.

91. Tech Nation, Tech Illiterates

In the U.S., a shocking percentage of adults — even those who use computers daily — don’t know what CPU stands for (“central processing unit”). Surveys show many can’t identify basic computer components, despite living in a digital-first economy. Other nations teach fundamentals early; America turns users into button-pushers. “Best” shouldn’t mean a population glued to screens but clueless about how they work.

92. Clueless Without IT

Remove IT workers from the equation, and the average American adult has almost zero technical literacy. Most can’t explain what a CPU is, what RAM does, or how the internet actually connects. They rely entirely on prepackaged devices and “call tech support” culture. Other countries emphasize practical digital literacy for everyone; America treats technology like magic until it breaks. “Best” shouldn’t mean being surrounded by machines you can’t describe in a single sentence.

93. Gesture Blindness

Many Americans struggle to understand even the simplest universal gestures — pointing to the mouth for food, or to the stomach and toilet for the bathroom — unless paired with words. In much of the world, humans navigate cross-language situations easily through body language. In the U.S., isolation, cultural insularity, and screen-mediated communication have eroded instinctive understanding. “Best” shouldn’t mean failing to read the most basic human signals.

94. Nation of Despair

The U.S. suicide rate has climbed steadily for two decades and now sits among the highest in the developed world — roughly 14–15 suicides per 100,000 people each year. For men, veterans, and teens, the rates are even higher. This is the silent metric of a society that breaks people faster than it supports them. Other nations invest in mental health, community, and stability; America leaves millions to self-destruct. “Best” shouldn’t mean despair becomes the default exit.

95. A Nation Trying to End Itself

When you count not just completed suicides but attempts, the numbers in the U.S. explode. For every one person who dies by suicide, an estimated 25–30 attempt it. That’s millions of Americans every year reaching a point of self-destruction — teenagers, veterans, parents, workers. Other wealthy nations have problems too, but at nothing like this scale. “Best” shouldn’t mean millions of citizens trying to leave life behind.

96. Bankrupt by Ambulance

In the U.S., a simple ride to the hospital in an ambulance can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000+, even for short trips. Many people refuse to call 911 when hurt because they can’t afford the bill. In other countries, emergency transport is treated as a public service — free or symbolic in cost. “Best” shouldn’t mean bleeding out on the curb while you check your bank balance.

Summary

As the massive list of damning points above shows, I don't think very highly of the US. I'm sure I could come up with even more points. Additional research could dig into all of these points as well. These are real problems.

While I've phrased this post and its details as condemnation of the US as a whole, I don't wish for it to be this way. I want it to be better. For myself though, my contribution to improving it at the moment is pointing out the problems from my perspective. It's up to you to fix them.

Or not. I have popcorn and I enjoy laughing, so feel free to hit the gas accelerating the US toward it's destination. Hell.