The Top Ten Things Americans Should (Still) Be Grateful for in 2015

The Iran deal, scientists, and the unshakable pragmatism of President Obama.

By tradition, Thanksgiving is the holiday when we put aside fears and grievances and focus instead on our good fortune. Gluttony, football, and pointless family quarrels may play some role in the festivities too, but they are not why the holiday was created.

In recent years I've observed this day by listing the things for which world leaders should be grateful, or some things for which I'm personally thankful, but both tasks seem a little harder this year. There's no shortage of grim news on the global front, and politicians and pundits in the United States seem to want us to sit down to dinner on Thursday in a state of trembling and xenophobic paranoia. If you keep watching a steady diet of CNN or FOX you might lose your appetite entirely.

My advice: Ignore them. There are big problems in the world today, and plenty of things to worry about here at home too. But Americans should neither overstate the dangers nor assume there are quick, cheap, and easy answers to them; it is precisely that combination of fearful overconfidence that leads countries into stupid wars and costly quagmires. For all the troubles that bombard us daily, Americans still have much to be thankful for. Keeping that firmly in mind can keep over-hyped threats in perspective and help us avoid costly or counterproductive responses....

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