Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic about America's future?

I wish I could share the enthusiasm of earlier posters, but I am very pessimistic.From the fascist policies of Bush, to the Socialist leanings of Obama - America as we once knew it, is doomed. Our rights are being taken away little by little. We have limited freedom of choice, and Corporations make the rules; Bankers are the true policy makers in this country, and our economy is a reflection of their short sightedness. Also our Educational system is in decline, we as a country are out of shape and overweight, our manufacturing base is gone, we outsource jobs and import workers. Yet lets put a smiley face on it all, we will pull through, after all we are "America". Unless the American public educates themselves and make their voice heard, America is going the way of all the other Empires that are littered across the historical landscape.

Optimistic about America and about the world. Our futire will be more and more glorious.
This is not the end time. It is the time of great challenges and marvelous opportunities to achieve global projects. Never in the past did we have the UN with various powerful agencies, the communication satellites, the Internet, and lots of other fantastic discoveries in science, technology and art...
Each man can now shoulder the task of a thousand people in the past.

Have experienced difficult times before (for you young folk, you can use that line in a few years too) and I expect US to recover as we have in the past.

Dude, Obama's the President, of course I'm pessimistic! :]

i am a bit hesitantly optimistic.

that's good for me because i'm a very my glass is half empty kind of person. i think it's going to get far worse before it gets better. at least financially. i think our new president has us pointing in the right direction so far.

Recently I've become very pessimistic about our future. It's like the ideas written down on paper look great, but when put into motion just go all to hell. And so many of the policy changes are confusing. And what's up with all these Czars? I feel like I'm in Russia!

I am neither. I am realistic. All major societies have ultimately failed. The Romans, The Mayans... all of them and this one ultimately will as well. In the grand scheme of things this is just the reality of it and the power structure will move again and another nation and culture will be the most powerful on earth.

As to when that will happen, that is a much more interesting topic.

I think those North Korean A Holes are going to try to bomb us this month

I'm pessimistic and fearful, and I expect to stay that way until 2010 and 2012. Then, I may very well just be apathetic by that point and say "to hell with it." At the same time, I am motivated to try to get the party I do support more recognition and become more active myself in our political scene.