There are plenty of things in this article to agree and disagree with, but it’s great journalism nonetheless, taking risks and doing analysis that few U.S. papers would consider. It also offers a parallax view on the current situation from an outside perspective.

The Desperate States of America are loud and distressed. The country has always been a little paranoid, but now it’s also despondent, hopeless and pessimistic. Americans have always believed in the country’s capacity for regeneration, that a new awakening is possible at any time. Now, 63 percent of Americans don’t believe that they will be able to maintain their current standard of living.

“Is the American Dream Over?,” Der Spiegel, November 1, 2010