Stories of our demise are greatly exaggerated.

When I read stories like this about banks worldwide faltering, seemingly in response to the financial crisis here in the U.S., I suspect that those predicting the loss of American significance are wrong.

The U.S. remains a large player in the world. Whenever a major shift occurs, it's like a rock hitting water. The ripples spread outward affecting every boat floating on the water.

This world is extremely inter-connected and for us to ignore that in an effort to save ourselves does nothing but doom us all. It's like the state motto of Kentucky: " United we stand, divided we fall."

The world is in for a tough time. A lot begins here in the U.S. We may be first, in this, but it will be us that leads the world out of the trouble not because of American exceptionalism, but because there's no one else who can do it.