(5 of 5)
Will the U.S. be able to diagnose its ills and swallow cures that are certain to be bitter? Probably. The country is good at rising to occasions, once it recognizes them. The end of the cold war has released immense resources and millions of talented people who can now turn to the repair of America's damage. Because the U.S. is, among other things, an evenhanded superpower and a vast market, most of the world has a stake in its continued success. But if the U.S. is to be counted among the winners in the next century, it will have to make gravely important decisions -- and act on them -- before the end of this one.