Bush Won'l Find Any Quick Fixes
George Bush moves into the White House at a strange time. There's peace anti prosperity the unemployment rate is at its lowest point since 1974. But contentment hasn't bred sell-confidence. Americans are nervous. ThereÛªs a sense that weÛªre losing control of our future. BushÛªs challenge is to help Americans master their economic anxieties even though he canÛªt make them magically disappear.</br></br>One source of anxiety is the slippage of U.S. global power. Perversely, this mostly reflects the success of postwar American efforts to promote worldwide prosperity. Many other countries are now wealthy and self-confident enough to ignore our views on everything from terrorism to trade.</br></br>I he damage is also to our psyche. Being No 1 is an tunerican obsession. Although the U.S. economy IS still the worldÛªs richestÛÓmore than1 twice the size of Japan'sÛÓwe lag in some vital industries and technologies.</br></br>Another worry reflects unmet public needs, demands abound for more spending to protect the environment, fight crime (the prison population has risen by two-tliirds since 1980) and increase research and development. Costs are increasing to repair aging bridges, provide health care (37 million Americans lack insurance) and improve schools. No one need alond seems overwhelming, but together they intensify pressures to raise already high taxes. In 1987 the tax burden(federal, state and local) hit a postwar high: 30.2 nercent of gross mitional product</br></br>If weÛªre so prosperous, how come we feel so vuhterable? The doubts cloud the otherwise placid end of the Reagan era, Bush wonÛªt find any quick fixes. The days of massive U.S. economic and technological superiority are gone forever. Health costs are rising because we five longer. Environmental problems are a side effect of an expanding economy. Bush could minimize the conflicts if he could make the economy so productive that we coidd easily pay for these and other pressing public needs. Sadly, no president has that power.