Three comments: (1) anyone who predicts anything beyond a month or four in the current macro-economic environment is, in my view, not being realistic - so to suggest what might happen to the U.S. in an economic sense 20 years hence for me isn't relevant, (2) over 2/3rd of the U.S. GDP has been accounted for until lately by consumer spending, so to suggest based on that variable that the U.S. hasn't gone backward in comparison with the rest of the world makes no sense to me; and (3) for anyone to rely on American innovation as a panacea in going forward from here in my opinion is 'U.S. Centric' with more than a touch of arrogance thrown in for good measure. In my view American's need to realize (preferably far sooner than later) that for every smart and entrepreneurial American there are a lot of smart and entrepreneurial people in the world who are not American - and that not all of those people have a vested interest in America's long-term economic success.

To be positive is good. To stand up and wave the American flag and sing 'God Bless America' supporting and encouraging U.S. patriotism is good. I applaud Mr. Doll (and Mr. Perry, the article's author) for doing that. However, substance needs to follow from form, and it needs to do it quickly in Washington and elsewhere in America for the economic tide to turn in America's favour - or as a Canadian with a vested interest in a positive American turnaround, that is what I currently think.