Americans deserve a little good news, don't you think?

It's been a rough couple of years. Pretty much all we hear about are the next crises that are sure to hit us (from economic collapse in Europe to further downgrades and debt problems to exploding entitlement costs and chronic high unemployment). But Americans also have many reasons to be very optimistic about the future. We may be poised for a significant, lasting rebound.

That's the case made in this must-read article on American Thinker by Brad Lips, Atlas Economic Research Foundation's CEO (ok, he is also my brother, but that doesn't make the article any less awesome). Here's a sample:

Now, I won't be so foolhardy as to predict that we've reached a "bottom."  Some Act of God — or foreign shock — easily could create new headwinds that complicate our country's recovery. It's difficult to assess how the unwinding of the Euro-crisis will affect our own financial infrastructure, and satellite photos of scores of empty cities in Chinabuttress my belief that a bubble of unknown proportions may pop there as well.

Nevertheless, there is a plausible case for long-term optimism about America's future. I think you should hear it, and I think you should express your gratitude to those who have the laid the groundwork for an amazing national recovery.

First and foremost, thank Barack Obama.

The first and most important step in any 12-step program is to admit you have a problem. The American electorate finally seems ready to check in at a special Betty Ford Clinic for big-government abusers.

As Brad explains, it's not just the Obama Administration that has convinced America that it's time for a major rethinking of our recent path, but the unravelling of environmentalist dogma, the near implosion of Europe's social welfare system, and the breakdown of the mainstream media. As a result we have the rise of the Tea Party and Americans increasingly skeptical not just about one-party or another, but of big government and the concept of concentrating power in Washington in general.

Brad offers some ideas for how to capitalize on this unique opportunity, but I think the most important takeaway is that we shouldn't lose heart. This great American experiment continues and may be poised for a rebirth.