We are far from Christmas, but a famous scene in the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” is worth remembering as America’s 250th birthday settles into the rear view mirror.
It’s when Clarence, the angel trying to earn his wings, tells the suicidal George Bailey, “You really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to throw it away?”
Everyone must keep that in mind when they gripe about how the country is going down the tubes and how its best days are behind it.
Yes, there are a million things to complain about and worry about. We can’t know exactly what lies ahead. But we can use history as a guide, and an editorial on The Washington Post website offers plenty of reminders that the future in America has a lot going for it.
“The United States has had a tumultuous history, and there have always been reasons to worry about the country’s future. The frosted glass of memory produces nostalgia for bygone eras,” the editorial said. “Freedom and prosperity are never guaranteed, but it’s a mistake to bet against America. That’s as true now as when the country was founded 250 years ago.”
The editorial listed 25 reasons to believe that America’s best days lie ahead, and they really make a lot of sense. Here are some of them:
• We excel in science. We lead the world in clinical trials for experimental drugs. U.S. companies have more than half the global market for pharmaceutical products.
• We have enviable universities. More than 1 million foreign students came to the U.S. for college in 2024-25, contributing $55 billion to the economy.
• Life expectancy has reached a new high and obesity rates are falling, both because of appetite-control drugs that show enormous potential to improve health.
• Cancer is less deadly. More than 70% of cancer patients now survive five years or longer, compare to just 50% in the 1970s.
• The U.S. dollar remains the world’s currency of choice. As long as our economy remains stable, a majority of nations will use dollars for international trading.
• The U.S. has 4% of the world’s population but 65% of the value of the world’s stocks. More than half of the world’s 100 most valuable companies are based in America. A majority of Americans, 62%, have a direct stake in these markets.
• It took 15 years to break a record set before the Great Recession, but the median net worth of Americans hit a new high in 2022 of $192,000. And the median U.S. household has a higher annual income than 96 percent of the world’s population.
• Talented foreigners still want to come here legally, despite current restrictions. Our foreign-born population is more than three times the size of any other country.
• We are the world’s largest oil exporter. We continue to add solar power and wind power. We have the largest number of nuclear reactors in the world. Our future requires energy, and we’re producing it.
• We are adding battery storage rapidly, which will make our electrical grid more efficient. We are beginning to produce sodium ion batteries, which are more durable than today’s lithium batteries and easier to manufacture.
• We have the strongest military in the world. It will not solve all problems, but it protects American interests and prevents widespread global wars that kill millions.
The editorial speaks highly of the potential for other things like artificial intelligence and space exploration. It concludes with these insights: “America’s record of democracy remains rock solid. Never once in its 250 years has it failed to conduct scheduled federal elections, even during the Civil War and pandemics.
“The government is messy and imperfect, always has been, but so long as its citizenry maintains faith in the principles set down by the Founding Fathers, it will always have the capacity for self improvement.”
Like George Bailey in that film of 80 years ago, the vast majority of today’s Americans really do have a wonderful life. This sometimes can be difficult to see, but what a mistake it would be to throw away our 250 years of success. More likely, we are just getting started.
— Jack Ryan, McComb Enterprise-Journal
