Dangerous Times Ahead

There has never been a time where “regaining the center” is or will be more important than now.  After 8 years of malfeasance and abdication of executive control, the US is sinking into the fruits of its hubris.  The Republican train wreck has left the next Administration, whether John McCain or Barack Obama’s, with a huge hill to climb and a hill with still very slippery slopes.  This situation can not be turned around with more of the same (Bush III) or for that matter with a “Ted Kennedy-like” progressive agenda.  The world is sick and the US is a patient too.

Like a bowl of spaghetti, there are symptoms all around us but it is not clear which ones should be fixed first and which ones, if fixed, will also eliminate other symptoms.  For example

• Our currency is worth 1/2 its value (versus Euro) and key imports (like oil) cost us more
• There is a world demand for oil greater than supply, the US has no alternate energy policy, and therefore we are under the gun of those producing oil
• The American consumer is up to their ears in debt (or for some even higher) and there is no further room to buy our way out of the economic slow down.
• The US Government has set a horrible example for the rest of the world and especially its own citizens by doubling its debt (now more than $ 9 trillion) in 8 short years.
• The US infrastructure is continuing to decay having been largely neglected for the past 8 years.
• The Defense Department budget is bloated at over $ 600 billion but the Department and a great number of hawks (chicken and otherwise) are calling for even greater expendatures.
• China and India are growing rapidly and inevitably their exports will cost more.  When that happens, the US will experience a new round of inflation that it can not control other than by lower our standard of living.
• There are about 40 million Americans without health insurance and this number is growing.  It will take a lot of money to fix and that money is now going to wasteful non-productive uses.
• Balancing the budget or even the attempt to improve our monetary and fiscal management will demand tax increases.  (Not a bad thing if you consider that the problem belongs to everyone.)

I could go on and on.  The point of the matter is that terrorism or North Korea, or Iran are not our main problems.  There are distractions and much better handled with world consensus.  If the US is to fix its own situation and return to honest prosperity, we need Americans to lead and not Republicans or Democrats.  This is a time for pragmatic and visionary leaders who see both the complexity and interconnectivity of the world as well as the need for pracitical policies and programs.  Banks, investment houses, and corporate America better join up and become part of the solution and not part of the problem.

This can only happen if we “regain the center”. 

Explore posts in the same categories: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, George Bush, Iraq War, John McCain, Politics, Republican Party

Tags: alternate energy sources, centrist policy, national debt, regaining the center

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