Change in our time

So many questions to ask.

Is it naive to think that the day to day impact of the US election on our lives in Australia will be minimal? Has America made the right decision?  Exactly what type of change are we talking about?  Is it socialism, or is it a pacifist foreign policy that will be the biggest risk to traditional American values?  Was that last question totally loaded with political bias?  Have I been watching too much politics on TV?

Every democratic outcome must be respected, and John McCain’s concession speech was one of the most dignified political orations delivered for a long time.  On the other hand, Barack Obama’s victory speech was freakishly evangelical and left me feeling more uneasy than inspired.  The speech was a cross between spindoctoring for dummies and a Bob the Builder routine. 

The speech did however contain one in-principal quote that was standout; “For those who want peace, we will work with you.  For those who do not want peace, you will be defeated”.  No doubt some would choose to read that as a thinly veiled threat against, for example, a future nationalist Israeli government.  However, if Obama can genuinely understand and judge on the basis of actions who wants peace and who wants to work against peace, in the context of coexistance between Israelis and Palestinians, then this is encouraging.  He certainly deserves a chance.  Sadly, he can certainly do no worse than the Bush Presidency, and the massive failure of Condi Rice to make Arab regimes who threaten and attack Israel to account for their actions.

It is the economic scene, officially termed by the acroynmn GFC (Global Financial Crisis) that will be the most pressing issue of the moment.  The USA can learn much from Australia in approaching more stringent regulation for its banking sector.  The control of the creation and use of debt is vital to overcome the vulnerability of the markets, and this must be the first task of the Obama-Biden administration. 

God bless America!