Yes. That is Donald Trump’s campaign slogan. No, I do not believe the successful businessman would be nearly as successful as the president of the United States. However, I do believe there is a way to “Make America great again!” and it is simpler than it seems.

There is no doubt that for decades this was the greatest country in the world. The richest, the most powerful, the one with the most opportunities and yes, even freedom. That is not the case anymore.

We have gotten to a point where our individualistic purposes, inexplicable selfishness and constant denial of the reality is ruining the country we live in. As Jeff Daniels’ character in “The Newsroom” said: “The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.”

Now is time the to come up with solutions. Yes, healthcare and a college education are too expensive, our cities are too violent and we spend way too much money on the military. Those are major economic issues, but they have been around for decades, even when the United States was the best country to live in. The solutions are on our daily attitudes and our perspective regarding social and political issues.

If we are truly invested into making America great again, we need to care more, to be more empathetic and to understand that our success means nothing if everyone around us has failed.

The idea of the American Dream was extremely effective in the past, as every citizen worked toward achieving their goals and helping others achieve theirs. That mindset, however, has become an excuse to step on our fellow human beings and do whatever it takes in order to succeed. The greed, sense of entitlement and selfishness is the root of all of our issues. It explains the major problem in the U.S., social inequality, which is the cause of several consequential issues, such as violence, hunger and prejudice.

If we understand the American Dream can only be achieved in a functioning, organized society, we learn the power of kindness. When a whole country works toward greatness together, the individual goals also becomes easier to be achieved. A country that is divided will never be the best in the world.

That leads us to the second part of the “make America great again!” process: changing our perspective. Every controversial topic in this country is only controversial because of our biased, uneducated perspective. In the last few weeks, how many who have never studied international politics and current events have expressed their “opinions” on Syrian refugees? If our perspective is focused on society and the well being of others, instead of being on yourself and your own interests, we get closer to what humanity is supposed to be.

It is only by empathizing with others and making an effort to understand what is unknown that we can truly turn this country around. Every single person who lives in the United States wants an improved society, so let’s work together and make America great again. Without Trump, please.

Bruno Beidacki is an opinion writer for The Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].