Yes, the tone of the article is hostile. Yes, much of it is framed to depict the US as a nation on a downward path. Many of the issues brought up are side-effec

Yes, the tone of the article is hostile. Yes, much of it is framed to depict the US as a nation on a downward path. Many of the issues brought up are side-effects of the recession and not indicative of systemic problems. The whole piece is what most people would call propaganda. But that doesn't make the facts false. Some of the points do hit home. Racism and sexism aren't as bad as they used to be, but they still exist. Our military harms civilians around the world. Various government agencies have increased surveillance of Americans since 9/11. A lot of people would prefer a world in which these things did not happen. This article is hypocritical, but it's not without merit. It shouldn't be dismissed so quickly and completely.