• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Susan Collins’ Maine concession could leave New England without a Republican in Congress for the first time since the 1850s

2

Billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy’s millions and Greg Abbott’s $106 million war chest couldn’t stop Democrats from flipping Texas and Ohio

3

OpenAI’s hiring of former Army Secretary just 2 months after Pentagon resignation is part of a 'trend' of it pivoting resources to defense projects

1

Susan Collins’ Maine concession could leave New England without a Republican in Congress for the first time since the 1850s

2

Billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy’s millions and Greg Abbott’s $106 million war chest couldn’t stop Democrats from flipping Texas and Ohio

3

OpenAI’s hiring of former Army Secretary just 2 months after Pentagon resignation is part of a 'trend' of it pivoting resources to defense projects
Economy

Help! We’ve fallen and can’t get up

Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 4, 2008, 10:25 AM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

It seems incredible, but our diverse, fractious, contentious nation is virtually united on one key issue: The vast majority of us believe this nation is headed in the wrong direction. More than 80 percent, in fact, say so, according to a new poll on the subject from The New York Times and CBS.

This is an amazing level of unanimity — unprecedented, really. We don’t agree on the Iraq war, we don’t agree on race, we don’t agree on executive compensation or whether we’re in a recession, and we don’t agree on whether our property taxes should be raised to support public education.

Now if we could all agree on what the right direction might be, wow… what a concept. It’s hard to see that happening, though. It’s a lot easier to agree on what’s wrong than figure out what’s right, isn’t it? More fun, too.

What do you think, my fellow web-cruisers, blog-runners, misanthropes, pessimistic optimists, conservative progressives, and resentful newshounds? Are we on the wrong track? Are you among the disgruntled 81 percent who see the road signs all pointing to a place called Do Not Enter? On this cold and introspectively rainy Friday in New York, take a moment and let me know.

Oh, and by the way…What should we be doing instead? Ha! That part’s not so easy, is it?

About the Author
Fortune Editors
By Fortune Editors
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Management


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Recommended For You

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.