Debate: Is USA the Greatest Country in the World?

“When USA sneezes, the world catches a cold.” That famous quote which has been repeated over the years is still relevant to this day. When ascertaining what the greatest country in the world is, many different factors have to be taken into account. While there is no definite answer to this question, there is no doubting how powerful USA are, and that they are great.

While there can be no doubting the fact USA is a global super-power, it appears in recent times that the country has been in somewhat of a decline. Broadcast network HBO’s series “The Newsroom” managed to make the real-life news thanks to a scene where a character tells a young woman through the use of statistics and well-constructed arguments, that despite her beliefs, that USA isn’t actually the greatest country in the world.

The conclusion from the scene sees the character say “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” The people of USA, at least from a British perspective, are renowned for being hugely patriotic and proud of their nation. But it appears that perhaps the people of USA are starting to think otherwise, and aren’t as patriotic as they appear.

If you think about what “great” entails, freedom and democracy would be at the forefront of any list. The idea of the “American Dream” truly is great, and is thought of fondly by British people as a fresh start. The famous Statue of Liberty also has connotations of freedom, while USA has a very successful democracy, allowing everyone within the country to have a voice. Finally, USA appears to be a very fair country, where the citizens are free to live life in their own way.

Criticisms of USA, and those who would oppose that USA is the greatest country, have many statistics and theories to provide substance to their argument. The arrival of Obamacare could be attributed to many alarming statistics based on health, while the lifestyle, healthcare and education system as well have all been questioned on numerous occasions.

Back to the pro-USA argument, it could then be argued as to why successful education countries such as China send an influx of students to USA for their education. Some of the greatest and most innovatory businesses in history, such as Microsoft and Amazon, have been founded by American’s – and who can question the impact Google has had – again, an American creation, as well as the social media giants of Facebook and Twitter.

On balance, it is hard to question the power USA has, and the positive impact the country and its people have had on society, and overall, the world. Although perhaps there is not as much patriotic behaviour as there once was, the people of America seemingly have a lot to be proud of. Overall, it appears, that there could well be a very strong argument to suggest that USA is indeed the greatest country – without doubt they have had a hugely influential impact on the lives we all lead.

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This post was written as Millicent Faith approaches 1000 views from USA, thanks for the support, and all the best. 

UK Election: Time to Change the Voting System?

After the landslide result of the 2015 UK Election, the Conservative Party is set to stay in control, led by David Cameron. The Labour Party ended up with around 100 less seats than the Conservative’s. However a lot of the talk since the election has been surrounding whether or not it is time to change the voting system, in light of the unbalanced nature of the allocation of seats between the UKIP, Liberal Democrat and SNP parties.

The 2015 Election results saw the Conservative Party win 331 seats, enough for a sole majority, with Labour winning 232. However the majority of the rest of the seats causes great controversy. The SNP attained 56 seats, while the Liberal Democrats won 8. The controversy lies with UKIP – and the fact they only won 1 seat. The controversy is that UKIP received more votes than the SNP and Liberal Democrats combined! Yet, ended up with 63 fewer seats than the duo. It could be argued the current system isn’t offering a true representation in the House of Commons in regards to what the Great British Public really want.

The following graph shows the results of the 2015 election in the current system, with a revised result under the “Proportional Representation” system shown below.

Courtesy of “The Guardian”

The real winners of the election were the Conservative Party and the SNP. Interestingly, when you compare the results to the Proportional system, they too are the ones that have heavily benefited. The biggest losers are Labour and UKIP. Labour would have had a chance of forming their own majority, while UKIP would have had a greater influence in the future of the country. A proportional system uses the percentage of votes a party gets and turns it into a fraction of the 650 seats statistically deserved by a party. As the graphs show – the differences are huge.

Whenever the topics of “Politics” arises, a negative stigma is usually attached to it. It can be argued this isn’t surprising, when the results of the 2015 election are quite clearly not representative of what the country wants. Even the Green Party would have more influence – a move to a Proportional system would certainly benefit the small parties and not make it a near-Monopoly like it so often is.

Of course there is a reason why the current system is used. It has been used for a long time and shows no sign of change. There are renowned “stronghold” areas for some parties, where often any votes for the party not considered the “strong” one is near-redundant.  These sorts of votes therefore can skew the results. A move to a proportional system might also open the floodgates to a large amount of small parties winning the seats, should enough votes be won. This raises the prospect of having too many parties in Parliament. This could lead to disagreements that hinder the chances of progress. Moreover, any chance of a party claiming a majority would be unlikely, leading to a hung-parliament being the norm.

However, despite the negatives that have been identified to do with the move, if Britain wants a fair electoral system, a move to Proportional Representation surely must be made. There is no way it is fair that UKIP has so many less seats compared to others. While UKIP have some radical views that are probably best left out of Parliament, you can’t deny that the amount of votes they received calls for more seats. The calls for an electoral reform have been boosted in light of the results of this election, though it is ultimately unlikely that it will happen. However, it is likely to be the most fair thing to do.

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UK Election 2015: Summary, Reaction and Perspective

The 2015 UK Election is complete, with the Conservative Party, led by David Cameron, set to stay on in power, with The Labour Party and Liberal Democrats among those to suffer disappointing results. This election was being touted as one of the closest in decades, however in the end it was a landslide victory for the Conservative party. Many thought another coalition would be required, though in the end, the Conservative Party will lead with a majority.

The election also seems to mark the end of a political era. Many big name politicians have lost seats, while many parties have had their influence shredded. Gordon Brown, ex-Prime Minister, was just one of the huge amounts of Labour MP’s to lose their seats to the Scottish National Party (SNP). Many believe it was the fear of the SNP engaging in a Labour coalition that led to such a high amount of Conservative votes. Vince Cable and Ed Balls were other high profile politicians to lose their seats.

Meanwhile Ed Miliband leader of the Labour Party, has stood down, ending his time as leader. Miliband received a lot of praise for his efforts – though it does appear it was the right time to change. Miliband did, however, hold on to his seat and will therefore be a part of the House of Commons. Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, also called time on his reign as leader of his party. The Liberal Democrats lost a huge amount of seats, with their student fees decision coming back to haunt them, though again, Clegg held on in Sheffield Hallam. Finally, Nigel Farage, leader of the controversial UKIP party, also resigned, though his party did manage one seat.

It certainly marks the end of an era for UK politics, though it is surely the dawn of a new beginning. Whenever an election arises though, it is a time for perspective. It is a time for everyone within the 650 constituencies to be thankful for the fact the UK does have a democracy. It means that realistically, everyone has a voice. Many people don’t have this sort of a privilege, and in light of the various controversies that have arisen in this election, the fortune of being in a democracy must not be forgotten.

So overall, another election has passed. Conservative remain in power, with now a coalition government no longer required. Many big name politicians have lost their seats, while the SNP have gained an incredible amount of influence in Scotland. It will be interesting to see where the Labour Party will go from here, while the Liberal Democrats need a huge re-think. Only time will tell if Britain has made the right decision in re-electing the Tories, it shall be interesting to sit back and view the consequences.

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The review of the 2015 UK Election will continue with the next post – which will look at whether or not it is time for a political reform, with a “proportional-representation” system required.