Walking through a suburban neighborhood, you see not only large, four or five bedroom houses, but also a national flag flying on nearly every other lawn. Authoritarian regimes may fly the most national flags per capita, but the United States has the world’s highest concentration of publicly displayed, privately owned flags. Every Fourth of July, hundreds of thousands gather to celebrate U.S. independence from the British Empire. The celebration unfolds in a wave of flags and backyard barbecues. People go all out—painting flags onto their faces, putting them on their pickup trucks, and slicing into flag-themed cakes. As night falls, the sky lights up with massive made in China fireworks displays. Why is that? Didn’t you know? The U.S. is number one. That’s right, U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.!

You might ask what the U.S. is number one in—it really doesn’t matter, because the U.S. is number one. The sooner you realize that, the better. Show your pride by getting a national flag or flag-themed merchandise. While food insecurity persist elsewhere, you have freedom here in the number one country known to mankind. U.S. midterms and presidential elections are the most expensive in the world—a reflection of both national wealth and the will to throw money away. When U.S. politicians end their speeches with “God bless the U.S.A.,” they are channeling the pride of leading the number one country in the world. We call U.S. citizens Americans because let’s be honest, we’re carrying the whole continent. Who’s Canada and Mexico again? U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.!

With more than 200 nation-states in existence, the aggressive, unregulated capitalism practiced by the two largest economies essentially forces the rest of the world to play by the same rules just to compete. No middle-powers will choose to not compete, because they need to secure a decent standard of living for themselves. Despite middle powers having to compete globally, more than 55 of them have secured universal healthcare and strong social safety nets to level the economic playing field. The U.S. refuses to follow the pack by intentionally acting as an outlier. Take that, social programs. U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.!

Remember the evil British Empire? The United Kingdom has a government-run National Health Service, so the U.S. must show them who’s boss by refusing universal healthcare for its own citizens. Older generations agree with their corrupt politicians that the U.S. are not allowed to have nice things. What’s the reasoning? The U.S. is number one. All those hippies kept demanding universal healthcare, so why not give them a less aggressive option from the healthcare cartel, name it the Affordable Care Act, and tell them to shut up? Now there is a progressive movement? What the hell? Why are adults under 50 increasingly dissatisfied?

The irony of American exceptionalism is that it has stalled domestic progress for more than four decades. The comfort of believing the U.S. is number one masks a different reality on the ground. Is the U.S. the global leader in healthcare? No, that title belongs to Taiwan. Is it the frontrunner in environmental protection? Countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Finland take that crown. Public education? Look to Singapore and Finland. You might think the U.S. is number one in freedom, but according to Freedom House’s 2026 global rankings, it actually sits in 70th place. Ultimately, U.S. global supremacy is anchored in two areas: the world’s most powerful military and its 32 trillion dollar economy. Let’s not forget: according to the U.S. itself, the U.S. is number one.

Republicans and corporate Democrats have successfully conditioned Baby Boomers and Gen X to accept a narrative of American exceptionalism, often dismissing superior foreign models as incompatible with American society. When Americans demand better social programs, politicians counter them with misleading information designed to induce fear or make the initiatives appear unfeasible. The United States has stalled for four decades because three-quarters of Americans over fifty continue to place their trust in corrupt politicians. Enough with the finger-pointing. At the end of the day, both Republicans and corporate Democrats are just looking out for themselves. Lying to yourselves that your side cares about the country will not bring any meaningful change.

As younger generations grow to represent the majority of the U.S. electorate, the economic reality have severely eroded their trust in the propaganda of American exceptionalism. What good is a 32 trillion dollar economy when ordinary people struggle to make ends meet? University graduates spend the next decade trying to pay off their student loans. With rent eating up half an entry-level paycheck, paying off student loans could take twenty or thirty years. Switching jobs often means adjusting to a new network of doctors and hospitals, while taking a career break will leave you without coverage. Having a baby? The U.S. lacks a centralized childcare subsidy system, so you might as well pack up and live with your parents again.

Millennials and Gen Z have lived their entire adulthoods through endless conflict. The true value of a nation’s military might must be questioned when its foreign policy shifts away from national defense toward perpetual warfare. If the goal after 9/11 was simply to catch Osama bin Laden, why didn’t we stop there? Why did we end up in a 20-year war in Iraq based on false pretenses, followed by attempts at regime change in Venezuela, and now a war with Iran?

There is an unwritten rule in the U.S. in which foreign aid to Israel must not be questioned. Don’t take my word for it—look it up. Both major parties execute the exact same policy. The only real difference between Republicans and corporate Democrats is how they package it in their speeches. While I support Israel’s security, the nation is fully capable of defending itself. The current shift toward offensive operations has created a vacuum that puts the U.S. in direct conflict with Iran. Annual weapon shipments to Israel, which cost U.S. taxpayers over a billion dollars each year, have resulted in the genocide of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children.

An economy rigged for the wealthiest 1% and a government that failed to deliver anything of substance for the last forty years has rightfully left younger generations disillusioned. Take a walk through almost any American city and you will see crumbling, poorly paved roads. Even though the federal infrastructure bill promised to fix our roads, local governments seem to be cherry-picking what actually needs to be repaired. Patchwork fixes are unacceptable. The entire road system is deteriorating and needs a complete overhaul. Honestly, a lot of U.S. local roads are in surprisingly rough shape for a developed country.

The situations mentioned earlier are legitimate reasons why U.S. citizens under the age of fifty increasingly find it impossible to be proud of their own country. Sales of national flags and patriotic merchandise have taken a major hit among younger generations. As a dual citizen of the U.S. and Taiwan, I never expected the differences between my two homes to be so stark in areas that directly impact ordinary people’s lives. When it comes to the quality of life that everyday citizens actually feel, the U.S. genuinely looks like a developing nation. What pisses people off is that these issues are entirely deliberate. The U.S. successfully broke free from British colonial rule, only to replicate those same imperial power structures domestically.

Given its 32 trillion dollar economy and the status of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency, America’s failure to secure basic financial stability for its citizens is unacceptable. However, voters under the age of fifty offer some real hope for a brighter future. Having lived through major economic hardships, this demographic understands that politicians who accept dark money will prioritize donors over constituents. By breaking away from decades of cult-like party loyalty and flag waving propaganda, these younger voters are beginning to push the electoral landscape back towards the grassroots level. To truly force systemic change, their next vital step is to channel this political awareness into the type of powerful, organized grassroots protests seen during the Civil Rights movement.