As America gears up for its 250th anniversary this July, plans for the usual red, white, and blue spectacles are in full swing. Tall ships will sail into New York Harbor, and politicians are polishing soaring speeches to celebrate two and a half centuries of the American experiment. But a quick peek behind the fireworks reveals a striking bit of historical deja vu.
Fifty years ago, the nation marked its Bicentennial while wrestling with a very specific, stubborn set of economic headaches. Fast forward to 2026, and we are blowing out the candles next to the same triad: sticky inflation, pain at the gas pump, and a looming deadline to fix Social Security.
