I filled out a web form a few days ago about emigration to New Zealand

[Hortensis]

27. This is not an authoritarian state yet, so please don't ignore what we have

and need to protect instead. In spite of citizen foolishness, we still have the incredible blessing of a government of, by and for the people, and we're still by far the wealthiest and most advanced nation on the planet, with by far the largest GDP, including the largest manufacturing base. Just not currently equitably managed.

I think people are mistaking the big picture for national decline. We used to be way ahead of most of the planet, and now many nations have been developing and advancing so fast that America's "exceptionalism" gap is closing. That's really good. Good for them, good for us, good for humanity!

And, again, that narrowing of the gap between us and other nations is NOT due to massive national decline here but to increasing wellbeing in hundreds of other nations.

That could change if we fail to protect what we inherited at birth, but it hasn't yet.