It would seem that the United States has little to be thankful for in 2014. It seemed like U.S. foreign policy fell apart during the course of this year. The tragedy in Ferguson, Mo. has gone national in response to the grand jury’s decision not to indict anyone for the police shooting of Michael Brown. Campus rape appears to be something of an epidemic. Inequality continues to skyrocket in this country. One side of the political divide is frustrated over the outcome of this month’s midterm elections; the other side is frustrated over the president’s abject refusal to acknowledge the outcome of those elections. Oh, and to top it off, the IMF now estimates that China has surpassed the United States to become the largest economy in the world — the first time it hasn’t been the United States in well over a century.
So what is there to be thankful for as a country? Quite a lot, actually. Here are three big things worth appreciating as 2014 draws to a close: ...