“Why is it China can look out to the future but our politicians cannot?”
China is also in trouble, for a significant number of reasons. That said, you are right about our politicians not having vision. Part of this is because politicians are politicians - that is their expertise. The problem is that the political ‘class’ has become too powerful - with too much control over too many things.
I agree that we have poor fundamentals right now, and that printing new money to cover growing debts is a strategy doomed to fail. What I’m saying is that if the right person were in the Presidency, and the right people were in Congress, just starting to rectify these issues would lead to a shift in public confidence, bring some of the money from the sidelines back into the game, and at least gives us hope that we could ‘grow’ ourselves out of this mess.
I think it will take “the right people” to turn the train around as well. But, not sure they exist or will be permitted to obtain power if they do.