Let’s take a moment to reflect. Look out the nearest window, find a tree. Consider its life, and the seasons it’s seen. It continues to grow.

Our country is in a new moment. Stocks are back to all-time highs. I can’t believe it either. The stock market rallied a furious 25% from April lows.

But, the world doesn’t seem any more certain than it was 2 months ago. Politically, the message of the day is loud: our system doesn’t work. ‘Things used to be better. ’ All sides embrace and proclaim it.

We disagree. These politicians are ignoring the incredible progress our country has made over time.

It is easy to find disappointment in our current world. You don’t need to look far. But our society, our standard of living, has improved dramatically! Progress is an underappreciated piece of our story. Consider the following:

Today’s iPhone has 100,000 times the computing power of the 1969 NASA computer that put a man on the moon.
94% of the US population has access to the internet, yet 40 years ago, only 8% of households even had a personal computer.
In 1975, a new 21-inch TV cost $500; today, a 32-inch TV is just $70.

Not just technology; life has gotten (for lack of a better term) BETTER over the past 50 years:

Pessimists and optimists can (and should!) debate about how we can make the nation a better place for everyone. The realist, though, has no choice but to reflect on how much progress we’ve made and conclude that the future may, somehow, get even better.

Sources: Life Expectancy, Cancer Rates, Heart Disease: CDC.GOV, Poverty: Census.gov, Education: NCES.ED.GOV, Wages: Statista, Income vs Parents: Pew.org, Homes: Humanprogress.org

The American Dream is Not Dead