Henry Luce's 1941 essay "The American Century" described a national mood of unhappiness and disappointment. Luce urged America to accept its duty as a global leader and promote ideals like freedom and economic enterprise. The essay argued that embracing global leadership would also serve as a source of renewal for American civic life. The author suggests Luce's call for American leadership and ideals contrasts with modern political views and China's current global role. “We Americans are unhappy. We are not happy with America. We are not happy about ourselves in relation to America… The future doesn’t seem to hold anything...