We’re about to mark another national birthday. But we don’t seem to be in the mood to celebrate. Polls show 80 percent of Americans think the country’s on the “wrong track.”

Fortunately, we’re not the first generation to face problems -- and surmount them.

Consider the Founding Fathers, who fought for freedom from Britain. Many of these same men drafted our Constitution, the brilliant document that has provided the framework of our republic for more than 200 years.

It’s easy to assume they knew their experiment would succeed. But as historian David McCullough points out, that’s not true. History wasn’t exactly on their side. They didn’t know how things would turn out, just that they were taking the right steps.

Taxation without representation was unfair, so they declared independence. Their first stab at a federal government didn’t work, so they drafted the Constitution. They took risks, and we’ve reaped the rewards -- freedom and prosperity.

Today’s Americans have plenty of reasons to feel pessimistic. Gas prices are soaring. Foreclosures are up. The value of the dollar is down.

There are long-term challenges, too. If left unchanged, entitlements (Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid) will bankrupt our treasury within a generation. We need to cut spending, boost savings and strengthen our currency. Internationally, meanwhile, we must win the war in Iraq and defeat al Qaeda.

Together it all seems difficult, maybe even impossible. Like the Founders, we don’t know how it’s going to turn out. However, there’s no reason for pessimism.

Contrary to public opinion, there are many ways in which we’re pointing in the right direction. In 2006, for instance, Iraq looked like it could be a complete failure. Last April, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid even declared “the war is lost.” That was before the “surge,” Gen. David Petraeus’ new approach, took hold.

The war isn’t over, but Iraq is becoming safer -- for Americans and Iraqis alike. There were 19 U.S. service members killed in Iraq in May, the lowest monthly toll since the war started. That’s quite an improvement from May 2007, when 125 Americans were killed. Continued...