I don't see a need to "save" America. That instantly jumps to me as sensational, fear-mongering drivel, for the mere reason of stirring up shit, getting listeners and fans, and making money.
But, what I think would really "help" us in our strange, somewhat faltering times? Wall of Text Warning. Probably not worth the read.
1) 2 Parties, gone.
I think it's pretty clear now, that they are both dangled in front of us to instantly draw lines. I mean, you have incredibly religious people, who get on the same side as people who want nothing more than more of their own money, which to me is an oxymoron. I don't see how a Capitalist and Social Conservative could ever lie in bed together, if it weren't for...
The incredibly naive and hope-filled people, lining up with people who think guns are Public Enemy #1. Once again, antithetical, IMO. A naive and hope filled person would say "The guns will fall into the right hands, the criminals will get caught, everything will work out on it's own, guns aren't the problem, people are".
Obviously 2 random examples of the idiosyncracies that don't align when they stand alone. When in the face of 2 opposite mindsets, the teams get picked so fast it makes my head spin. It's like a social magnetic repulsion that only happens when certain ingredients mix.
2) Acceptance that being the "Greatest Country on the Planet" is an unrealistic, ego-infested, subjective ideal that only leads to blind patriotism, which IMO, is a rude and sad state of mind. Patriotism is good, but for personal reasons, for things it's given you, or things you gave to it, and seeing the greater good of your gift. Patriotism in the form of "Fuck you, We're the Best", means jack shit to me. When I see an 80+ yr old man weeping like a child at memories of military service, think of the liberty of childhood, general stories of wonder and amazement only available in my particular country, I feel a true patriotic pulse.
I firmly believe (now injecting some of my naivety), that if we all saw ourselves as citizens of Earth first, home country second, and stayed true to that principal, unbelievable things could be achieved. I know, dreamland, but ideas are ideas.
3) Redefine Success: Our standard "K-12, College, Job" structure is proving to be somewhat if not completely overkill. There are PLENTY of people for whom college would be nothing but a pure waste of everyone's time and money. Luckily a lot of people understand that, go straight into trade, or service, or whatever. But still, such bland and hardly provable goals do us no good. Assess kids over and over in school, instead of repeatedly smacking them in the face with standardized arithmetic and arts. Some people make math their bitch but can't figure out how to talk to a female, while others may be a social genius who can't wrap their thoughts around the concept of gravity being a constant.
We are highly separate entities, using each person's strength and avoiding while improving on weakness would expand our collective psyche infinitely, IMHO. I say spend less time teaching, more time analyzing. Have school systems where with all the variants in place, you could be shuffling kids in and out of attempted proper paths, based upon their strengths and weakness.
4) Redefine our mindset and morals: "You are responsible for you." You use religion to define your morals? Great! Some people don't, and expecting them to adhere to your select rationale is just naive at best, and rude and divergent in social implementation. Your life, is your right, not mine, as it pertains to you. I just absolutely refuse to subscribe to any thought that basically says "another person's actions are my actions." Sodom and Gomorrah come to mind, as examples given of punishing the entirety for a segment's sins. You don't believe in abortion? Cool by me. No one can ever force you to have an abortion, that's your right. Rights, as I see it, are things granted to you, not for you. So when you think about saying NO to a right, realize that's TAKING. By saying yes, you now afford yourself the option to not participate and still maintain your moral ground, while showing dignity. Which, IMHO, could only lend more credibility to your resolve and beliefs.
Obviously you could hypothesize that this notion could lead to ridiculous things being a right, ie "Murder made legal, don't like it? Don't do it" But one thing I've found true among all the differences we have, we all hold similar principles. Obviously anyone with a brain knows murder is wrong, hell we even kill someone to prove it! But if it gets into gray area, where it's increasingly hard to prove people are being hurt by it, people are doing it already in unsafe and more expensive forms, ie prohibition and abortion, furthermore even realizing that it might not hurt us at all but be beneficial ie tax revenues on rights granted, more adjusted and friendly society, concede. Give the right, you can always take it back.
For a random example, I truly believe that sexual frustration in people with mental illness is a hurricane brewing, and that by legalizing prostitution, you create a steam valve for society. There's a benefit. So prostitution, who does it really hurt in a well implemented manner? Those who oppose it, never have to do it. And as we've said above, other people doing it, doesn't mean you did it. You are responsible for you.
Obviously I didn't enter the economic arena here, it's just not my strong suit, see above as to how I believe I understood that I didn't understand economics and was able to shove that field of interest from my life plans at an early age.
Idealistic? Yes. Realistic? Maybe