America's Hope for Recovery: Real or Merely an Illusion?
Has America dodged the bullet? Has the economy turned around? Will government intervention save the day? Will the country soon wake up from its financial nightmare and find that everything has returned to normal?
by Cecil E. Maranville
Seemingly without warning, the American economic juggernaut stumbled and unraveled with frightening speed last year. Because of its size, its malady could not help but infect the global economy. Fear and uncertainty assaulted the heretofore supremely confident American facade.
Without doubt the crisis greatly influenced the U.S. electorate, helping to sweep Barack Obama and his "message of hope" into the White House. Now, nearly six months into the new administration, it's time to evaluate that hope.
Do Americans have reason to expect that their prosperity will soon return to the level long-enjoyed by the world's only superpower?
There may indeed be a reason to hope—but the basis for genuine hope is not in a president, congressperson, judge or business person. Nor is it in government intervention, whatever the mix of spending, reduced benefits or increased taxes.
All hope based solely on people or government action is going to disappoint.
Before America can recover, it must relearn the basis for its previous phenomenal success. Is it cleverness, ingenuity, a willingness to work hard? Such claims lack humility and sound judgment.
Until America remembers the basis for its achievements, it has no guarantee of returning to them.
A sign of hope
In April of this year, Somali pirates took hostage the captain of the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Maersk Alabama. After a successful rescue operation, a crew member observed: "In America now, things are down. It's not the best of times. Hopefully everybody in America can latch onto this maybe and use it as a sign of hope to show what being American is about."
