On July 4, 2026, the United States is deep in a mess of its own making, and 2026 will be remembered as the moment when allies began to fall away, American scientific prowess began to falter, the international order that the US helped to construct weakened, and the US retreated into the Western Hemisphere where it alienated its neighbors and was torn apart by internal differences. The American Century has come to a close as the country celebrated 250 years on the world stage.
Just one third of the voters approve of the president, and 60% disapprove of him. The newspapers reported yesterday that Trump has enriched himself by more than $2 billion since taking office. Congress has ceased to be a check upon the president, and refuses to investigate evidence of corruption, insider trading, and other misuse of his office.
Congress has continually failed in its obligation to ensure that the funds it allocates are actually spent for the purposes intended.
The Department of Defense routinely slaughters people in small boats on the high seas, because it suspects them of transporting drugs. Those killed are often unknown, and it seems certain some of them were innocent. Killing people based on mere suspicion is against international law, but the killings continue with little outcry and with no end in sight.
Masked government employees have killed a number of American citizens, notably two in Minneapolis. Far from investigating these deaths, the Trump administration has vilified the victims and resisted judicial action.
The Supreme Court has lost the confidence of the American people, less than half of whom now consider it to be non-partisan. A generation ago the courts were the most respected branch of government, with an approval rating as high as 80%. But in 2025 the Court's rating sank below 50%, and some polls put it as low as 42% in 2026.
In short, the majority of US citizens do not respect or trust any of the three branches of government.
Happy Birthday? Not really. The United States has lost its moral compass. The Founding Fathers knew that virtue among the legislators and leaders was essential for democracy to succeed.
As James Madison put it: "The aim of every political Constitution, is or ought to be first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust."
And meanwhile, the country is not paying its way. The national debt that is now over 100% of the annual gross national product. (See chart below.) The federal government does not collect enough taxes to pay its expenses. In 2025 the federal government spent $7.01 trillion and collected $5.23 trillion in revenue, resulting in a deficit of $1.78 trillion. The interest payments for that year were $396 billion. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that annual interest payments on this debt will rise to $628 billion in 2028. The long term danger is that the dollar will cease to be the world's de facto currency.
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Size of national debt as a percentage of GNP
Country 2024 2026
Switzerland 14 14
Norway 15 15
Denmark 20 20
Sweden 34 34
Australia 37 37
Germany 44 44
Poland 45 45
Mexico 45 45
New Zealand 51 51
Canada 52 52
India 54 54
Brazil 83 83
China -- 88
France 94 94
UK 101 101
United States 103 103
Italy 133 133
Japan 201 201
Statistics from the
