If the US is in decline, when was it in a better position than it is now (COVID aside)? I think things in the US have not been improving as quickly as in many o

If the US is in decline, when was it in a better position than it is now (COVID aside)? I think things in the US have not been improving as quickly as in many other countries, and the US is certainly behind countries like Canada when it comes to things like healthcare, but the US is certainly trending in a positive direction by most metrics. Just look at the crime rates over the last 20 years, or life expectancy, income mortality, median income - they have all been improving. I often see people online act as if the US is some "third world" country, and while they certainly have problems, and probably more problems than many other western countries, there still aren't that many places in the world where it is normal to own a large house in a safe area with a 30k car and no concerns about how you are going to pay for food.