This is really cool — even the Christian Science Monitor thinks we’re wallowing in doom & gloom too much:

Can’t quite settle on a New Year’s resolution? How about this: Resolve not to repeat the media’s mantra of America in decline.

The airwaves and netwaves are full of reviews of the decadem horribilis – a decade of terror attacks, two hot wars, hurricane Katrina, a great recession, a record federal deficit, and more.

The common conclusion is that the American sun has set, much like the end of the British, Ottoman, and Roman empires.

That’s, well, nonsense.

I think it’s time to spend a few minutes in reflection between the champagne and the bowl games tomorrow to resolve to be cheerful in the face of the adversity we see; to use Rush’s example of a fabulous sense of humor to disarm the opposition; and smile with confidence that we are fighting a battle that is winnable, if not already won.

Dave Ramsey spent the first few months of 2009 saying that he ‘refused to participate in this recession’ as a way of showing that positive energy is what overcomes the challenges, not resorting to Eeyore bleating about ‘how bad things are.’

So in that spirit, I for one, resolve not to respond to the constant lines from the left that “[insert issue here] is broken” and “the time for talking is over” and “everyone agrees that doing nothing is the wrong answer.”  I resolve to use facts at hand and deep respect for the ideals of the Constitution to formulate the best answer to the challenge.  I resolve to fight the notion that more government is the preferred solution–we’ve seen lots of cases this year that prove that notion false.

Happy New Year and let’s press on!