Why can't the US be like the US of the 1950s?

Sam Zell says Brazil is like 'US in the 1950s.' CNBC reports:

Brazil is booming and brimming with business opportunities—like the "US in the 1950s"—billionaire businessman Sam Zell told CNBC Wednesday. He said if Brazil continues on the same course, he predicts that the "fiscally conservative" nation will soon be one of the top two countries in terms of growth.

The real estate tycoon said Brazil has 8 percent debt, compared to 70 percent (of GDP) in the US. The country has a AAA rating from...