Want to know about recession, hard times lost hope? Pick up a book on the Carter years sometime. Maybe some books on the Civil War, WWII, Korea and Vietnam would give some insight to what America is about. Read about 1929 stock market crash, the depression, rise of the Nazi party in the 30's and how our foreign policy went in WWII. Maybe look into the accompolishment of the Reagan administration and the end to the Cold war and the disolving of what was the Soviet Union. Here's a little excerpt regarding John F. Kennedy's administration. Kennedy was president when the Vietnam war came to fruition. Of course Nixon had that war won until Jane Fonda shoowed up on the front lines and gave us away to the VC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1iaQSGT3Wo&feature=player_embedded#!