I have to say, Fareed's article looks more optimistic than I can bring myself to be.

I think Americans have forgotten how to save money. I think the next few years will teach us again - but it's gonna be slow, painful, and cost us our global economic dominance. And we're seeing a fall in Big Business all over the world.

Things have got to change, guys and girls. Alternative energy is the way to be. And get off credit. Turn down those credit cards. Don't listen to the fanatical American credit industry when it sticks ten offers in your face. Don't take that balloon ARM. The banks are failing, and some of them need to be. They need to get back in the business of offering solid loans again and reducing their OWN dependence on both borrowing and lending at usurious rates.