This excellent Ted Talk explains why crisis can also be opportunity for our country. (HT: Guy Kawasaki) Although it starts by saying society is going through a "great unwind," it ends on quite an optimistic note.
And I really like it because it underscores the role of new, more social technologies in social change.For the past decade I've had confidence that the internet would change the world, but I didn't envision any of this:-)