News that the U.S. unemployment rate continued to decline in January 2012 is certainly good news. It is a reason for optimism about the continuing, but still somewhat delicate, recovery in the U.S.
That optimism is dampened a little by some fundamental issues that remain largely unaddressed by the U.S. government. (See Paul Krugman's column in the New York Times.) Whether or not these issues are ever handled in a serious manner in the near future will depend, to some extent, on the outcome of the U.S. elections