USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ten factors that place the US in a success & failed state category

Ten factors that place the US in a failed state category and
ten that place it in the success column.
Afro pessimists take note.


A. Failed State Category

1. A gigantic debt of 18 trillion dollars and a debt per GDP ratio of almost 101%
(Nigeria: 11%; Russia: 13.41%). Bankrupt municipal centers such as Nevada, Arizona,
North Carolina, Maine, Illinois, California etc. Many to come ..... See Time. Vol. 175. no. 25. 2010.
Catastrophic student debt, municipal debt and credit card debt.

2. Inability to keep the public safe on Sept 11, 2001; World Trade Center; Boston Marathon event, 2013 etc;

3. Inability to curb excessive greed in its banking and financial centers such that Lehman Brothers,
Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and financial entities generated a global financial crisis in 2008
with toxic financial instruments such as securitization.

4. 5% of the world's population consumes 24% of the world's energy.

5. 25% of the world's prisoners but 5% of the world population.

6. A retrogressive model for ' rendition' and torture programs at Guantanamo etc.

7. A massive divide between rich and poor: US Gini coefficient about 47 (Sweden is one of the least
skewed at 23. South Africa is now probably one of the worst in the world at 63.1).

8. Vocal intolerant fringes such as the KKK etc; Assassinations of high profile leaders from
Lincoln to JFK, MLK etc. High rate of shootouts and killings at places of learning and public
places eg Columbine, Sandy Hook - Connecticut, fuelled by a gun toting populace.
20 students shot at Sandy Hook. Mass shootings now normal.

9. Politicians bribed by the corporations in national elections through campaign funds
and the PACs; political gridlock. True democracy undermined by gridlock in its 2-party system. Corporations rule.

10. The world's largest consumer of anti-depressants, and hard drugs thus facilitating
the massive drug cartels in the Americas


B. Success Category

1. A thriving film industry, Hollywood , that has major impact and influence around the world.

2. Several nobel prize winners indicating excellence in economics, chemistry, physics and peace.

3. Readiness to contribute to international charitable organisations eg the Clinton Project;
The Gates Foundation; Rapid response to external humanitarian crises. (Katrina was internal).

4. Political stability through free and fair elections on the average and a philosophy of democracy
that has influenced multiple nations.

5. A magnet for streams of immigrants around the world and willingness to grant them citizenship -
unlike countries like Japan for whom immigrants are anathema.

6. A major center of technological innovation and invention for most of the 19th and 20th century.

7. Fantastic infrastructure in highways and byways.

8. Institutions of learning that attract streams of international students and utilize
state of the art multimedia techniques.

9. An influential music industry that has accommodated and spawned diverse musical styles
from Jazz to Country to Hip Hop and more and influenced world music around the world.

10. Political stability. No military coups sponsored within.


Professor Gloria Emeagwali
Prof. of History & African Studies
History Department
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain
CT 06050
africahistory.net
vimeo.com/user5946750/videos
Documentaries on Africa and the African Diaspora


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