A Brave New World

After going through an eight year nightmare known as the Bush/ Cheney fiasco the world today has made a giant turn for the better. In a way the person that deserves the most credit for the turn around is none other than George W. Bush. He and his neocon ideologues have screwed things up thoroughly leaving their unbridled market capitalism in shreds. Their expensive war machine exposed as useless in the face of determined and patient insurgency in Iraq leading many people to wonder if this is the end of America as we've known it. Certainly the concept of an American 'empire' is a thing of the past. Bush has been so inept that the country knew it had to try something different. It was such a relief to see Bush take off for the final time in that helicopter, bringing up memories of Richard Nixon's bravely waving off: "I am not a crook". And Dr. Strangelove (Dick Cheney) getting helped from a wheelchair into a limo. We won't be hearing much from these two in the future, I'm sure of that, and thankful of that, too.

The question now is can Barack Obama rescue America from the mess it's in? Can a country continue to prosper after it has sold off its manufacturing base? Will the "bail-out" of the banks work? And will there still be a General Motors in six months from now? These are really difficult questions. The so called 'experts' have lost their credibility with people like Alan Greenspan admitting "I was wrong". Clearly, markets need close oversight and this financial debacle was the big issue that gave Obama the boost he needed to topple the market obsessed Republicans.

Right now there is so much positive emotion in America, in the world, surrounding this new administration that just maybe "the Obama effect" will lessen the financial mess we are presently in the midst of. Yes, I think there is a good chance he will soften this thing.