US Needs to Regain Faith in the Future

America needs to overcome its "crisis of faith" caused by China's phenomenal growth, writes David Brooks. Today's China is optimistic, forward-looking, and dynamic in the way America once was and should hope to be again, he points out in the New York Times. Surveys show that 86% of Chinese believe their country is headed in the right direction, Brooks notes, compared to just 37% of Americans.

The American economy needs to break out of the cycle of consumption and debt, and regain its focus on innovation and exports, Brooks writes, calling for policies on education and technology to be unified into "a single, long-term narrative" with a focus on regional innovation. "As the financial crises ease, it would be nice if Americans would once again start looking to the horizon," he concludes.
(More China stories.)