The US confronts huge challenges, at home and abroad. Its fiscal position is not one of them. This is a highly controversial statement. If one judged by the debate in Washington, one would conclude that the federal government is close to bankruptcy. This view is false. Yes, the US does confront fiscal challenges in the long term. But these are largely caused by the soaring costs of its inefficient healthcare. Yes, the US is engaged in a fierce debate on fiscal policy. But this is due to philosophical disputes over the role of the state. Yes, the US has been running large fiscal deficits in the short run. But these are a result of the financial crisis.
美国在国内外都面临着巨大挑战。然而其财政状况却算不上什么大问题。这样说可能会引起很大争论。如果只看华盛顿的辩论情况，人们可能会以为联邦政府快要破产了。然而这种看法是错误的。是的，美国长远来看的确面临财政上的挑战，不过这在很大程度上是其低效率的医疗体系成本激增造成的。是的，美国在财政政策上陷入了激烈争论之中，不过这是源于有关政府应扮演什么角色的哲学争论。是的，美国确实在暂时背着巨大的财政赤字运转，不过这是金融危机的结果。