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Hyperink That Used To Be Us Quicklet
Quicklet on That Used To Be Us By Thomas Friedman And Michael Mandelbaum
Quicklet on That Used To Be Us By Thomas Friedman And Michael Mandelbaum
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ABOUT THE BOOK
That Used to Be Us is a book about America. Authors Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum borrow the title from the American phrase used when confronted with the successes and progresses made by other countries. The most obvious country that we compare ourselves to is China. In a few short years, China has transformed itself from a largely peasant agrarian society to a global economic powerhouse with enviable economic growth and a growing middle class. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, China now has the third highest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world, right behind the European Union and the U.S.
America used to be the envy of the world. It used to be a place where majority of the population had access to good public education and good jobs that sustained a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. It used to have public infrastructure that met the needs of the country and fostered economic growth. Americans used to trust their leaders and, most importantly, used to be willing to sacrifice individual wants for the greater good.
Now, millions of people are out of work. The housing bubble burst forced millions more out of their homes. Our roads and bridges are not maintained, as evidenced by the U.S. PIRG’s 2010 report which revealed that the country has more than 70,000 structurally deficient bridges and 90,000 miles of crumbling highways. Young people are increasingly squeezed out of higher education because of the astronomical tuition bills. Those who do get a degree are often saddled with debt that will negatively affect their standard of living for years to come.
The title is surely depressing but That Used to Be Us is actually an optimistic book. While it does point out the ways in which the country has fallen off the track and the problems that it faces, it is ultimately a call to action. Instead of just resigning themselves to America’s perilous fate, Friedman and Mandelbaum wrote the book to urge Americans to change their ways. They provide solutions so that future generations of Americans will not say: “that used to be us.”
Friedman and Mandelbaum set out four challenges facing America today. Examining America’s history, they identify the five things that America used to do that made it great. Lastly, they reinforce their belief that we must again do what we used to do while offering a fresh political solution.
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
If You See Something, Say Something
“Indeed, that sense of resignation, that sense that, well, this is just how things are in America today, that sense that America’s best days are behind it and China’s best days are ahead of it, have become the subject of watercooler, dinner-party, grocery-line, and classroom conversations all across America today.”
In China, the bullet train connecting the Beijing and Tianjin railway stations, both of which are equipped with the latest technologies and conveniences, covers about 72 miles in 29 minutes. The Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center, which is of such magnitude and sophistication that few buildings like it exist in America, was built in a mere eight months. Compare this to the subway stations in New York City, where broken escalators take months to fix. As Friedman recounted from a trip to the White House a few months after his September 2010 visit to China, even the door handle to get to the White House driveway was broken.
People have simply gotten used to their country’s inefficiencies and resigned themselves to the fact that China will be the world’s next superpower. Friedman and Mandelbaum refuse to resign themselves to the viewpoint. As frustrated optimists, they still believe in America’s greatness but are frustrated by the country’s slow decline.
The perception that China will be the next superpower is evidenced by the amount of books and articles written that state so. However, there are some notable people who don’t believe that to be the case. In 2011 at a public debate in Toronto, Henry Kissinger wrote that China will be so preoccupied with "enormous problems internally" that it won’t be able to lead the global world. Fareed Zakaria, Time magazine’s editor-at-large who was also at the debate, agreed, stating that China’s economic growth isn’t sustainable. According to Zakaria, China instead will become like Japan, another country that was previously thought to be the next global superpower.
Friedman and Mandelbaum attribute America’s slow decline to four causes:Since the end of the Cold War, we have stopped continuously examining what kind of world we live in and what we must do to thrive in it. We have failed to address the big problems, namely energy and climat
That Used to Be Us is a book about America. Authors Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum borrow the title from the American phrase used when confronted with the successes and progresses made by other countries. The most obvious country that we compare ourselves to is China. In a few short years, China has transformed itself from a largely peasant agrarian society to a global economic powerhouse with enviable economic growth and a growing middle class. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, China now has the third highest gross domestic product (GDP) in the world, right behind the European Union and the U.S.
America used to be the envy of the world. It used to be a place where majority of the population had access to good public education and good jobs that sustained a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. It used to have public infrastructure that met the needs of the country and fostered economic growth. Americans used to trust their leaders and, most importantly, used to be willing to sacrifice individual wants for the greater good.
Now, millions of people are out of work. The housing bubble burst forced millions more out of their homes. Our roads and bridges are not maintained, as evidenced by the U.S. PIRG’s 2010 report which revealed that the country has more than 70,000 structurally deficient bridges and 90,000 miles of crumbling highways. Young people are increasingly squeezed out of higher education because of the astronomical tuition bills. Those who do get a degree are often saddled with debt that will negatively affect their standard of living for years to come.
The title is surely depressing but That Used to Be Us is actually an optimistic book. While it does point out the ways in which the country has fallen off the track and the problems that it faces, it is ultimately a call to action. Instead of just resigning themselves to America’s perilous fate, Friedman and Mandelbaum wrote the book to urge Americans to change their ways. They provide solutions so that future generations of Americans will not say: “that used to be us.”
Friedman and Mandelbaum set out four challenges facing America today. Examining America’s history, they identify the five things that America used to do that made it great. Lastly, they reinforce their belief that we must again do what we used to do while offering a fresh political solution.
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
If You See Something, Say Something
“Indeed, that sense of resignation, that sense that, well, this is just how things are in America today, that sense that America’s best days are behind it and China’s best days are ahead of it, have become the subject of watercooler, dinner-party, grocery-line, and classroom conversations all across America today.”
In China, the bullet train connecting the Beijing and Tianjin railway stations, both of which are equipped with the latest technologies and conveniences, covers about 72 miles in 29 minutes. The Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center, which is of such magnitude and sophistication that few buildings like it exist in America, was built in a mere eight months. Compare this to the subway stations in New York City, where broken escalators take months to fix. As Friedman recounted from a trip to the White House a few months after his September 2010 visit to China, even the door handle to get to the White House driveway was broken.
People have simply gotten used to their country’s inefficiencies and resigned themselves to the fact that China will be the world’s next superpower. Friedman and Mandelbaum refuse to resign themselves to the viewpoint. As frustrated optimists, they still believe in America’s greatness but are frustrated by the country’s slow decline.
The perception that China will be the next superpower is evidenced by the amount of books and articles written that state so. However, there are some notable people who don’t believe that to be the case. In 2011 at a public debate in Toronto, Henry Kissinger wrote that China will be so preoccupied with "enormous problems internally" that it won’t be able to lead the global world. Fareed Zakaria, Time magazine’s editor-at-large who was also at the debate, agreed, stating that China’s economic growth isn’t sustainable. According to Zakaria, China instead will become like Japan, another country that was previously thought to be the next global superpower.
Friedman and Mandelbaum attribute America’s slow decline to four causes:Since the end of the Cold War, we have stopped continuously examining what kind of world we live in and what we must do to thrive in it. We have failed to address the big problems, namely energy and climat
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