“2021 was a year of closed doors, downward tugs and steady disappointment,” writes Ross Douthat in his article “The Year of American Disappointment” for the New York Times at the tail-end of January 2022. The article incorporates insights from 2021, as well as from the first month of 2022.

It makes sense that conservatives in opposition would project a doom and gloom scenario on the nation. But this pandemic “stagnation” narrative from the Times is troubling for different reasons. Maybe 2021 was a year of political disappointment. But the article does not inherently focus on legislative gridlock.

Instead, the target becomes a “crisis [that] froze the social order in a thicker amber.” Blaming the pandemic for an abstract notion of an “amber” is bizarre.

Maybe the Times editors and writers are oversaturated with negative news coverage and are oblivious to the behaviors of millions of Americans. But a failure to forge active, spirited social bonds with friends, neighbors, and community members cannot and should not be blamed on the virus–or the government​.

When will the pandemic cease to function as an excuse for social disorder? To be sure, the pandemic did cause disruptions, social and economic. However, these changes varied from state to state. And in all states, various phases of reopenings have rendered lockdowns long gone, and the restrictions had varying degrees of adherence regardless. Therefore, a denunciation of social disfunction writ large becomes compromised.

Travel and private and public gatherings have been going on for close to a year now, even in the most restricted of states. College campuses have been bustling, to varying degrees, since the Fall of 2021, and, less than a month after the Times article’s publication, public schools are done with mask mandates, insinuating a complete return to normal.

Of course, college campuses, and students, present a bias. Colleges are certainly more active than the office scene of 35-year old New Yorkers–not a surprise. And things are not perfect–but both 2021 and 2022 are substantially improved compared to 2020.

Polling data does not bode well for Americans’ continued optimism in the nation’s path. However, no matter the general turbulence in the nation’s faith, America is open, and those that want to engage in progress, socialization, and travel are reaping the rewards. There are legitimate reasons to lose hope or optimism, but just like always, people themselves have the final say–not a pandemic that is mostly over.

A genuine “Morning in America” moment is far from a reality. Nonetheless, the vaccines have worked. Just a month after the delta variant scare, the variant is behind us, and hospitalizations and deaths are at lows.

As the pandemic subsides, an international climate of aggression and authoritarianism takes control of public consciousness. Though individuals themselves cannot control other nations, the response of the American public is arguably more significant than diplomatic and political threats.

In fact, strongmen on every continent are praying for America’s downfall, beginning with a pessimistic populace and a spirit of boredom and stagnation.

And only the American people, not the nation’s diplomats, generals, and politicians can create a positive, innovative spirit. Contrary to some Republican politicians, no amount of regulations is stopping the American people from achieving their dreams. And contrary to a great many politicians from both sides, America is still a haven for free enterprise, choice, and thought.

Parents, sick of academic disruptions protested in the closing months of 2021 and the opening of 2022 against school mask mandates and pandemic policies. Workers are suffering from inflation and seem to be stuck in limbo over office re-openings.

Instead of fanning the flames on social and cultural confusion, the media, the administration, and Congress should provide a path forward, fixing legitimate problems and inspiring faith in the nation.