I listen to people grouse about how horrible we have it here in the US, and I have to agree with SLS, look at the lines of people wanting to get into the US. This is the source of our strength, immigration that gives people chances to own a gas station/convenience store/motel/restaurant, to get an education, to run for elected office, to work on the next great thing. I stopped in a Chinese restaurant 20 years ago for takeout and while I waited, the cook came out from the kitchen to practice his English and talk about what he was learning for his citizenship exam. He knew many things about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence that most native-born Americans have never bothered to learn. It was a real eye opener to me-this guy comes thousands of miles, not knowing the language, and in several years, learns the language and what he needs to become a US citizen, a participant in the grand experiment of democracy, conducted by flawed humans, but surviving both because of, and in spite of, those flaws.

The naysayers are depressed about the future because THEY WATCH TOO D*MN MUCH TV, where people live lives that are completely unrealistic, and the TV news shows get ratings by trying to scare the crap out of people with the latest "sky is falling". Turn off the TV and get to work finding solutions. Go talk to people who are working now, today to find solutions. These are people who believe that, even though there are challenges, they can be surmounted to make life better. You will find these people volunteering to build houses, sort food in food pantries, provide meals for those whose lives are not yet stable, picking up trash on the roadside, sending a truck of clothes, shoes, and medical supplies to those whose lives have been altered by a hurricane. These are people who may have lost a home in a flood or tornado, yet are out with hands and shovels to help others who are affected by the same natural disaster. The strength of the US is not on Wall Street, or in our factories, but in our people, and in their willingness to create solutions that can be shared with others. I believe this is why so many people in the US are disappointed with our government, because they waited for politicians to lead us to do the right thing. If you are waiting for the government to save you, or save the planet, you are on the wrong path. Bureaucracy only stifles innovation, it can never create it. Only hands and hearts and courage can create the future. So lets get to it!