Tea Leaf: Wouldn't it be nice if … ? An economic wish list

… the new "super committee" would actually make real progress in reducing enormous federal budget deficits.

… European political leaders would finally and fully address the Continent's sovereign debt challenges.

… American companies would begin hiring again in a big way.

… some of the mind-boggling research advancements in energy production and alternative energy more rapidly made their way into the economy.

… the game of politics in Washington D.C. involved a little more cooperation and a little less confrontation.

… we didn't have a $14,500,000,000,000 gross national debt.

… "far left" liberals and "far right" conservatives in the media would back off a bit.

… there was a stronger collective effort to improve opportunities in America's inner cities.

… high-quality teachers were paid better while poor teachers were weeded out.

… history-making developments across the Middle East and northern Africa would eventually lead to democracy and freedom for tens of millions of people long denied.

… we would all get more involved in enriching the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves.

… we could benefit more from years of practical business experience of millions of retirees, rather than simply "putting them out to pasture."

… we weren't running a federal budget deficit this year of $160,000,000 every 60 minutes.

… the Osbournes were never heard from again.

… the Federal Reserve's eventual attempt to unwind unprecedented monetary stimulus would be successful, with inflation staying under control.

… the violence and language in today's movies could be toned down a bit.

… your garbage disposal didn't eat better than two-thirds of the world's population.

… the Congress and the Administration would get serious about reining in the growth rate of entitlement programs in coming years (Note: In regard to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid … we do not have to cut spending … we have to slow down the growth rate of future spending … BIG difference!).

… our 401(k) balances would rebound nicely in coming years.

… drive-by shootings were replaced by drive-by moonings.

… American corporate and consumer confidence would rise solidly in coming months.

… the Administration would stop talking about being "pro-business" and actually (a) promote pro-business policies, and (b) remove anti-business initiatives that dominate its agenda.

… men and women were from the same planet.

… America's silent majority (our parents and grandparents) received greater respect for the enormous wartime sacrifices they made to help protect the freedoms we all enjoy today.

… "nature" was much less destructive.

… our kids realized sooner that Mom & Dad might actually know what they are talking about.

… the Castro brothers would bite the dust and be replaced with a stronger move toward democracy.

… incompetent corporate CEOs who drive companies into the ground were not rewarded with multi-million dollar "golden parachutes" to simply go away.

… the nation's tobacco companies would leave our kids alone.