Are you optimistic or pessimistic about our future?

[ysolde]

A recent NBC/WSJ poll indicated that 2/3 of Americans are pessimistic about the country's future. How are you feeling? Do you believe that our children will have a better life than we do? Is our country headed in the right direction? Short term? Long term?

Answer the poll, and, if you want, tell us how you feel, and why.

[Emilie]

Right now, with the current leadership, I am pessimistic. Once this regime is removed from power, I will more than likely be opimistic.

Just waiting for November 2006 and then more so, November 2008.

[thelittlebabu]

I voted "unsure". My biggest concern is what happens in 2011 and beyond when the baby boomers start collecting social security benefits at a rate never seen before. Of course we hear and read rationalizations on why it will be either no big deal or the financial death knell for the USA, but if history is any guide...one that shows consistently rising FICA tax rates, consistently rising FICA income limits and consistently rising age limit for benefits...I'm leaning towards it pointing to trouble.

Another thing to consider regarding the largest segment of our population hitting retirement age at the same time...they'll all start cashing out their 401(k)s and IRAs. With all the selling going on, there will be *major* downward pressure on the stock market. That's not going to be fun for the rest of us with 401(k)s and IRAs who were hoping they would grow at a decent rate for our retirements.

[artist]

See the thread I just started. I worry about bringing children into the world. I wonder if it would be incredibly irresponsible and selfish to do so.

[ThreeYell]

I'll be the first "other."

Short-term, I think we're going to hell in a handbasket but that many things can still be turned around. Most domestic issues, from SS to stem cell research, can be fixed once we have a new Congress and administration.

Long term, I think America's age of greatness is coming to an end and I'm not sure that's all bad. I mean, it could be nice to be like France or England. Think of all the domestic programs we could have if we didn't have so much military spending. We could build levees and have universal health care and good schools. Awesome! But if we're not the world's police, someone else will be and I don't think I want to hand that job over to China just yet.

Really, I have no idea where we're headed. If it gets too bad here maybe I'll pack up the fam and move to Sweeden. By the time my kid is an adult, the climate should be pretty nice there. ;)

[Anna Low]

Very pessimistic. I feel like we are in a big black hole with respect to our economy, foreign policy and general domestic programs. While I hope that a new administration could turn things around, I worry that our recovery is beyond the point of no return.

[SiValleySteph]

Really, I have no idea where we're headed. If it gets too bad here maybe I'll pack up the fam and move to Sweden. By the time my kid is an adult, the climate should be pretty nice there. ;)

We've considered this but unfortunately it's very difficult to emigrate to Sweden.

[ysolde]

Really, is NO ONE optimistic about the country's future!!!!! :( :( :(

[artist]

Really, is NO ONE optimistic about the country's future!!!!! :( :( :(


Oh, probably SOMEBODY is.

[ysolde]

Well, we have one. Whew. I was starting to freak out.

[artist]

Well, we have one. Whew. I was starting to freak out.

I would be curious to hear what that one person has to say. It would be nice to hear the optimistic view. Perhaps that person is looking at things a little differently.

[ysolde]

Two, two! We have two!!!!

[artist]

Who are they? Will they please post? I really would appreciate hearing the optimistic side! (Even if I may disagree!)

[apoppy]

I am optimistic, but only with an eye toward the future. I try to remind myself that times have been much worse than they are now. The economy, politics, social standards are ever changing. There have always been and will always be cycles of good and bad.

Personally, I can't stand the current administration and I think terrible mistakes have been made that will continue to have repercussions across the world for decades. A lot of what is going on now scares me. Deeply scares me. I am realistic about the way things are currently, but I have to be optimistic about the future. What good does it do me to be pessimistic?

[SiValleySteph]

I am realistic about the way things are currently, but I have to be optimistic about the future. What good does it do me to be pessimistic?

I keep telling myself this, but it's not working. I'm in a serious depression. :(

[ysolde]

I keep telling myself this, but it's not working. I'm in a serious depression. :(

This is pretty much where I am at. I can't shake the feeling that the world has spun completely out of control, that a very few people (maybe 250 families worldwide, if that) have gotten extremely wealthy at the expense of the rest of us, that we have been manipulated into a series of local wars that are exploding into worldwide conflict, that the economy is about 15 years from total collapse, that we may be hitting the point of no return with global warming, that we are daily faced with new diseases for which we have no cure, in large part due to overpopulation and deforestation/desertification.

It all seems to be falling apart all around us. I have never before been a prophet of doom, but I look around me, and I see no way out. People keep looking to bread and circus (gays and abortion), all the while ignoring the fact that our governments have been having their way with us for years. Rome is burning, the Emperor fiddles, and we worry that the "wrong" people might be getting married? I just don't get it.

[KrissyCat7]

I am optimistic about the country's future.

[jnettie]

I tend towards the optimistic, in general, but I voted unsure...because I just don't know anymore. I always think that it can't get worse, and then it does. For the most part, I get seriously disappointed in the way America seems to be heading and how the American people seem to keep voting for idiots. It's like, you hear everyone talk about how they don't like Bush or this senator or that, yet they all get voted back into office!

I am pessimistic about my personal future, though. I feel like DH and I are in a constant uphill battle financially. Forget 401k's...we can barely save for a house! It's just so much more expensive to live than is was when our parents were our age. Everyone asks us when we're having kids...but we can barely take care of ourselves now!

[jennylou]

I'm trying to optimistically look forward to January 20, 2009. :) Sometimes it seems like a long time away - and other times, well, not so far.

[ysolde]

I am optimistic about the country's future.

Please, please, please elaborate (and bring some brightness into this thread). :)

[ThreeYell]

I'll try to be optimistic.

This is pretty much where I am at. I can't shake the feeling that the world has spun completely out of control, that a very few people (maybe 250 families worldwide, if that) have gotten extremely wealthy at the expense of the rest of us, that we have been manipulated into a series of local wars that are exploding into worldwide conflict, that the economy is about 15 years from total collapse, that we may be hitting the point of no return with global warming, that we are daily faced with new diseases for which we have no cure, in large part due to overpopulation and deforestation/desertification.

Ysolde, was it you who mentioned WWI? Couldn't most of these things also describe the turn of the 20th century? The people with the money were probably royals instead of CEOs but income disparity is nothing new. Local wars have always been raging but now we can watch them live on CNN. And now we have the UN (a good thing, no?) so there's a chance we'll become involved in more of them in some way. In the early 20th century the world economy did collapse, and then it came back better than ever in a generation. As far as health, our lifespan is so long now and we have made big strides in treating things like cancer. And with the Gates foundation's mission, public health experts think we have a real chance of erradicating the top 20 infectious disease killers - soon. That's amazing!

I think we can all use some perspective. Most of us are in our 20s-40s. We probably came into political consciousness in the 90s. Those were halcyon days and I don't think they're coming back soon. But I don't think the end is nigh.

How's that for sunshine?

[SiValleySteph]

How's that for sunshine?

Pretty good. :)

Perspective is definitely good! Besides, I think it's for the best if we consume less, so really less $$ is not necessarily a bad thing.

To put things in perspective to me, my DH grew up without AC/heat or even a refridgerator! So we always talk about worse case scenarios and then he tells me how it was growing up and how they were still happy and had a good time and then I realize that all the trappings are not important. So a collapse of economy is not as frightening then...

Now war/global warming, more so. :p

[ysolde]

ThreeYell --

OK, that is a more optimistic way of looking at events. Any hope for global warming? Please? :)

[apoppy]

I have some hope for the slowing of global warming.

Consider how horrible air and water pollution was at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution until, well, until just about 20 years ago actually. We have done a lot of damage, but I am optimisitic that nature is resiliant.

(Of course, I could be fooling myself here, but I am going with it anyway.)

[ysolde]

Oh, nature is resilient. Nature always survives. But not all life forms do. And human beings, we are pretty vulnerable.

[ysolde]

A majority of Americans are also pessimistic about the environment:

"Most Americans are pessimistic about the state of the environment and want action taken to improve its health, according to a new national survey conducted by Stanford University's Woods Institute for the Environment.

Fifty-five percent of Americans surveyed said they expect the world's natural environment to be in worse shape in 10 years than it is now, and an additional 5 percent said the environment is currently in "poor" or "very poor" shape and will not improve, according to the survey.

"We refer to this group of 60 percent of Americans as 'pessimists,'" said Jon A. Krosnick, the Frederic O. Glover Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Stanford. This group closely resembles the overall American public in terms of gender, race, education and whether they live in an urban, suburban or rural setting, Krosnick added."


http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2006/april5/abc-040506.html

[apoppy]

People are vulnerable but we are also able to adapt.

Sadly, we often only come up with solutions to problems when up against the wall. I have great hope that the current energy crisis, coupled with the overwhelming evidence of the effects of global warming, will force us (the marketplace, the scientific community, the government, the general public) to look for alternate, less harmful ways of living.

[LittleFredPunkinHead]

I'm optimistic. Change will always happen, and things may not happen the way we expect them to or believe we want them to, but for every bad thing that may happen, I believe there will be something good. The good is not always immediately obvious, but it becomes apparent with time.

Besides. When I was in elementary school/junior high, I was positive the world would be obliterated by nuclear war before I hit my twenties. I've made it into my thirties though. We made it out of the nuclear 80s, so why shouldn't we make it through the World War Oughts?

[ThreeYell]

Global warming is harder. Environmental law is something I've studied and practiced. I've heard about and talked about lots of interesting ideas but frankly, I just don't know. I think we can heap plenty of blame on this administration and how they've gutted the EPA but global warming is, by definition, a global problem.

Did you see the op-ed, I think in the Times, saying that Gore should be the veep nominee in '08? Said it would be perfect for him and how he could effect real change for the environment in that position. That would be a turn for the positive.

[KrissyCat7]

Please, please, please elaborate (and bring some brightness into this thread).

I try to make the best out of any situation. I think every generation/period faces different hardships (some worse than others), but in the end we prevail....but I truly believe that if we throw out all hope, that is when we fail.;)

[KellyM]

I voted other.

Do I think things are getting worse? Unfortunately, yes. But I don't have my crystal ball and can't predict what it will be like when my daughter is my age. Who knows, we could be blown up or we could lose our standing as the number 1 country in the world. I have no idea.

The only thing I know is that my family is the only thing I can control. DH and I will do everything in our power to make decisions that will be good for us years down the road. That means saving lots of money now in case we don't get any Social Security. Yes, all our stocks might tank but we'll diversify our money.

That also mean strongly emphasizing education to our daughter. Making sure she has access to the best of education, as many opportunities as possible. Every country - no matter if you're a superpower or a little country - has their haves and have-nots. Having a good education helps people become one of the haves.

And by education, I don't just mean what one learns in school (although that is very important!). I also mean the soft skills, the networking, the "how to play the game" part of life. Damn right I want my daughter to master that!

It's sad to me how many people in this country don't truly value education or will not have high standards for their children. I participate in another message board and there was once a thread about "would you be mad if your kids didn't go to college". I was amazed at the number of people who had the attitude of "gee, I want my kid to be happy! If kid is happier working as a waitress than going to college, I won't force them to go".

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with being a waitress or similar jobs (gosh knows we need those jobs to help our economy), but if enough people adopt that attitude that being a waitress or a similar job is good enough then that will be another reason why our country won't be number 1 and why we have a bleak future.

What am I trying to say? I guess mainly, that the events around us are looking like they are getting worse but we can still control our place in those events (does that even make sense?) to a certain extent. And DH and I will do everything in our powers to make sure our family will never be a have not.

[SingleWhiteFemale]

If it continues down the path we're currently heading down, I'm very pessimistic. But I hold a little glimmer of hope that changes can be made... just a small sliver of hope.

[DiscoDiva]

I'm optimistic for some of the reasons already posted:
I think every generation/period faces different hardships (some worse than others), but in the end we prevail....
Change will always happen, and things may not happen the way we expect them to or believe we want them to, but for every bad thing that may happen, I believe there will be something good. The good is not always immediately obvious, but it becomes apparent with time.
People are vulnerable but we are also able to adapt.

[batgirl]

I have never been more pessimistic. Especially now that I am about to have a child...

ITA with what KellyM said about education. DH and I both have advanced degrees, and depending on the outcomes of the next two elections, they will make it much easier for us to emigrate.

So I guess I am totally pessimistic (and sickened) when I think about the US. But I still have some hope for the rest of the world.

[skraus75]

I voted that I am pessimistic about the future. I think some of my main concerns are:
1.) The fact that it looks like we are headed towards another world war. I worry about the unneccessary deaths that could result and that we might have to reinitiate the draft. I have three nephews under 30 and I don't want to see them be drafted.
2.) Global warming -- our government has not fully recognized that this is indeed a problem and something we need to spend money tackling. I think there are a number of things we could be doing but haven't yet embraced. The fact that certain species will become extinct because of the damage human have inflicted on the environment is sad...
3.) The erosion of rights under the current administration. I believe I have the right to phone call without the government listening, a right to choose what happens to my body, a right to speak what is on my mind.... and I don't feel as though those rights are as protected as they have been in the past.

Further, I live in Philly, a city with increased murder rate this year. Car break-ins in my neighborhood are up 60%. I think we have an obligation to provide quality schools for our citizens. I believe that the poor of society needs to be embraced and supported by the richer members of society. (Now, I know people will jump all over that -- I dont't think anyone should be able to stay on welfare for life but do believe in giving people a helping hand when they need it.) I think we need to control access to guns better.

That said, I am hopefully for the future. (Sorry I'm contradictory.) I think if people wake up and actually go out to their polls, we can have positive change. We need to have leaders who stand up for what the people believe. It is essential that our leadership start focusing on what we need for the future in order to remain competitive, whether it be in science, education or financially. It is important that we learn to listen a little more and invade a little less. I think our citizens might be in the middle of an awakening -- maybe positive change is on the horizon. I want children someday and without such hope, I'd never want to bring another life into the world. :)

[KellyM]

We need to have leaders who stand up for what the people believe. It is essential that our leadership start focusing on what we need for the future in order to remain competitive, whether it be in science, education or financially. It is important that we learn to listen a little more and invade a little less. I think our citizens might be in the middle of an awakening -- maybe positive change is on the horizon. I want children someday and without such hope, I'd never want to bring another life into the world. :)
I think we also need leaders who challenge us to do our best. The current president, in no way, shape or form challenges us to be the best citizens we can be.

When I read about the Kennedy administration, I get the sense of the leader encouraging Americans to excel. Lately, I've been hearing/reading stuff about how Bobby was the last politician not to talk down to the American people. How he quoted poetry, from the ancient Greeks to people.

Before I became a SAHM, I would laugh at Oprah. But I watched her show and had a complete change of heart. She is practically the only public figure today who seems to encourage people to excel, to be challenged.

Does it scare anyone else how Americans are not being urged to grow in this sense?

[ysolde]

I think we also need leaders who challenge us to do our best. The current president, in no way, shape or form challenges us to be the best citizens we can be.

When I read about the Kennedy administration, I get the sense of the leader encouraging Americans to excel. Lately, I've been hearing/reading stuff about how Bobby was the last politician not to talk down to the American people. How he quoted poetry, from the ancient Greeks to people.

Before I became a SAHM, I would laugh at Oprah. But I watched her show and had a complete change of heart. She is practically the only public figure today who seems to encourage people to excel, to be challenged.

Does it scare anyone else how Americans are not being urged to grow in this sense?

So true! My parents came of age in the Kennedy era, and they talk about that all the time: the idealism, the challenge to go out and make the world better. There was a thirst for knowledge and culture, a sense that being the best and the brightest was a good thing (compare that to the ever-popular "I'm voting for Bush because Gore is too smart; Bush is the kind of guy I cold have a beer with," comment), heck, Robert Frost wrote a poem read at the Inauguration. And the speech itself, "Let the word go forth . . . that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans: born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace . . . " Who gives Inauguration speeches that inspire us anymore?

I am tired of living in a nation that is afraid to be inspired to do more than go to war. I am tired of living in a nation that is afraid. We sow fear and reap despair. We need leadership that sows inspiration and reaps hope.

[colz85]

Before I became a SAHM, I would laugh at Oprah. But I watched her show and had a complete change of heart. She is practically the only public figure today who seems to encourage people to excel, to be challenged.

Does it scare anyone else how Americans are not being urged to grow in this sense?

This is such a great point. We've become a nation where "good enough" is, well, good enough. Not wanting a president who is "too smart"? Huh? I don't think there IS such a thing as too smart when you're talking about the President!

[BumbleB]

I answered Unsure. I try to be as optimistic as I can, but at times it is hard not to be pessimistic.

I am pessimistic about my personal future, though. I feel like DH and I are in a constant uphill battle financially. Forget 401k's...we can barely save for a house! It's just so much more expensive to live than is was when our parents were our age. Everyone asks us when we're having kids...but we can barely take care of ourselves now!

ITA with this and think that it is having a huge affect on the generation in their 20's and those that will come after.


I think we also need leaders who challenge us to do our best. The current president, in no way, shape or form challenges us to be the best citizens we can be.

Before I became a SAHM, I would laugh at Oprah. But I watched her show and had a complete change of heart. She is practically the only public figure today who seems to encourage people to excel, to be challenged.

Does it scare anyone else how Americans are not being urged to grow in this sense?

THIS IS HUGE!!! It scares me everyday. I see the attitude that "just good enough" is good enough every single day. My DH and I were both raised to work hard and strive to be our best. Unfortunatly so many Americans do not have someone in their lives growing up who can instill this in them, and by adulthood it takes a strong voice, a strong leader, to wake someone up to the fact that they can do better, they can be more. If more people in this country felt empowered in that way, I would feel far more optimistic about the future. And yes, the President should be highly educated AND should be challenging us, offering hope, and inspiring us to do better. I think I'm wishing for a dream world here. ;)

At the same time, I do think this country is very resillient. We are a melting pot of people, ideas, talent, hope, etc. This country is full of people who have found their way here, etched out a new existence, and have found success. This makes us strong and I don't see that changing.

[pocket]

This is such a great point. We've become a nation where "good enough" is, well, good enough. Not wanting a president who is "too smart"? Huh? I don't think there IS such a thing as too smart when you're talking about the President!

Even worse, people scoff at and manipulate real knowledge. Intuition and the bible are considered to be better sources of knowledge than science. People who don't like the results of real science found their own institutions and universities and restrict funding to those who agree with them. They silence those who don't agree with them. Governance is totally dead. No one cares anymore whether their government is functional. We have become so used to disappointment that we can barely muster outrage anymore. We don't even try.

For those who think they are acting by saving money, that's comical - social security is going to be the least of your problems. You can't save just yourself - we have to save each other. We aren't even going to run out of oil because we have plenty of oil to make global warming permanent. The climate crisis is the biggest problem we have. We need to start to act to solve our political problem - the current disaster of an administration. A crime from top to bottom and we deserve so much better. If we do not solve our political problem, we will not be able to solve our problems with foreign adventuring. If we do not dial down the panic button in Iraq, we will inevitably end up in a military confrontation with Iran. If we end up in a civil war where we are backing one side and Iran is backing the other side it will be a very long and bloody war.

[KellyM]

Even worse, people scoff at and manipulate real knowledge. Intuition and the bible are considered to be better sources of knowledge than science.
Do you ever watch "The Colbert Report"? I love how he lampoons what you just said!

[lawyerlee]

Really, is NO ONE optimistic about the country's future!!!!! :( :( :(
I might feel somewhat more optimistic depending on the outcome of the Congressional races in November. But for now I'm feeling quite worried about things. I just wish people cared more about voting on all levels. I don't necessarily think that the people who are elected represent the views of a wide spectrum of Americans because so many people don't even bother to vote. That scares me. Also, the 04 Presidential election killed some of my enthusiasm and hope.

[lawyerlee]

If we do not dial down the panic button in Iraq, we will inevitably end up in a military confrontation with Iran. If we end up in a civil war where we are backing one side and Iran is backing the other side it will be a very long and bloody war.
I couldn't agree more. And I worry a lot about what would happen if it comes to that because of our relationship with China and their support of Iran. :(

[SiValleySteph]

Good lord. How do you guys go about living? Things seems to suck so much.

I think global warming is inevitable. Does it mean the end of the human race? I don't think so. I don't even think oil is the real problem. Over half our electricty in the US comes from coal. We're not running out of coal anytime soon. Recent heat wave? Record electricity usage. Didn't see anyone dialing that down. So global warming = more heat wave = more electricty usage = more coal burning = more carbon, etc. If we switch to nuclear power, we could have a good go at reducing carbon output, but that has it's own issues and many people are opposed to it.

Ride the wave. I'm in it for the long haul baby. I got my hubbie, my kid, I'm trying not to give up yet. I am going to enjoy my beaches now while I can.

Saving money - not convinced on this one. I do save, but what happens when the stock market collapes and banks default? Who knows?

I don't like to get too hopeless because then what incentive is there to change anything? Might as well go out having a good time and driving SUVs with my AC at 65 to the end.

[ysolde]

Honestly, a lot of our personal choices are driven by what is best for the environment. We live in the city, so we don't use cars. We walk whenever we can, and use public transportation for the rest. Our apartment is well-insulated, so we have turned on the air conditioner exactly twice this summer. We usually turn the heat on just a few days each winter. Good insulation makes a world of difference. We take short showers, flush at night only if it stinks (KWIM?), re-use plastic shopping bags for garbage and to clean out the litter box, and avoid overpackaged foods and other products in that category. We buy less food more often (farmers' market, Whole Foods, and freshdirect.com), and buy local and organic whenever possible.

As for investments, we are aware that the Boomers' mass retirement is gonig to affect the market, so we will be moving from high-growth to conservative strategies in the next few years. We probably will never have children, having realized that this is a lifestyle choice that is out of our financial reach (and we are both highly educated -- so it's not just those who lack education who are finding survival in the current economy difficult ).

Our spirituality does encompass a sense of interconnectedness with all of Creation, so we cannot simply sit back and enjoy our lives while the world self-destructs. We are called to repair the world (in my belief system), and this is something to which DH and I both subscribe with hope, fear, and awe.

All of that said, I am well aware that, individual action notwithstanding, we need intelligent leadership to create a vision for the future, a vision based on what might be, a vision rooted in hope, shared ideals, and common dreams.

[DiscoDiva]

We need leadership that sows inspiration and reaps hope.
I think we also need leaders who challenge us to do our best.
I sooo agree with all of this! We need to urge all people to stop accepting how things are and feel encouraged to be better people and make the world a better place! We need nspiration to fire us up again as a country, and it makes me feel even more optimistic to see how much everyone in this thread cares about this country and wants it to be doing better!

[SiValleySteph]

As part of my endless mood swings, I feel optimistic after a coffee break.

Green technology is catching on and becoming more and more the norm. We fixed the ozone layer! We can do something about global warming!

Things have gotten a lot better in many ways just in our lifetime and in my parents. I still find it hard to believe that there were seperate colored and white water fountains just 50-60 years ago! I am married to someone of a different race and no one bats an eye. I would not have had this freedom when my parents were getting married. My sister lives openly with her wife. She still faces a tough world, but it is so much better now than just 20 years ago.

There are good things going on!

I don't think things look good on the global warming front, but who knows? Things are changing, maybe not enough or fast enough to really change the result, but we'll see! I know I am excited to get a plug in car in a few years and to go solar at my house. I can't be the only one!

The thing about affording houses or whatever is that our average house is so much bigger than 50 years ago. Maybe we need to change our perspective? Well, if you live in NYC, things are just expensive. No doubt about it there. We can use less energy and still have happy fufilling lives! What is really important?

I know I am on a rollercoaster ride of emotions in the last month. But this afternoon I feel optimistic. :)