the new deal

I had a somewhat perplexing conversation last night, regarding today's inauguration festivities. The person on the other end of the call was not only disinterested, but seemed somewhat put off by the excitement and anticipation that Obama's impending presidency is bringing to our nation.

While I agree wholeheartedly with a robust sense of skepticism and lack of trust in any and all politicians, I also feel very strongly that a leader who understands the gravity of the task ahead of us, is what we desperately need as a nation right now. This is not some "cycle" we are in here. It's not just a housing crisis, or a mis-managed war, or a couple of corrupt, asshole guys in finance taking advantage of investor confidence.

It's a nation-wide housing crisis, where the lion share of people who have bought homes in the last six or seven years, are now losing their homes and their life savings as well. It's every single major bank in the country and a good chunk of the smaller ones, being faced with either closing their doors, or having to ask for and accept billions of dollars in financial aid in order to keep things going. It's the entire investment banking system collapsing and only four percent of hedge-funds in positive gains territory. It's the entire world being in a state of financial crisis and the economies of more than a dozen countries in peril. It's not one, but TWO mis-managed wars, and thousands of our nation's mothers hearing the knock on the door and opening it to find that their son or daughter will never come through that same door again.

I could go on, but the point is, that it's not even like it's one or two or a few of those things, it's all of those things and more. And if we are going to be the (self-touted) leader of the free world, we need someone with the resolve and humility to organize a team, both political and ordinary, that can forge ahead and make a difference.

I have been paying attention to politics, presidents and elections since Jimmy Carter and I can say with absolute certainty, that never in my life, have I seen our nation's citizens to filled with hope and anticipation. Misguided or not, people are ready for what lies ahead and if he does it right, Obama has the chance to change a host of things for every single person. He represents a new step forward in race relations and, if nothing else, I warmly embrace that change and hope to see the parts of our nation where poverty and despair are rampant, filled with hope and grit and determination to build a new community and lift each other up. I hope to see a surge of young, black men and women becoming icons of industry that were previously dominated by others and I hope to see a day where being smart and well-spoken doesn't make a black person "too white", but just smart and well-spoken.

I am willing to give this my full backing, understanding that it could (and the historical odds are that it will) go horribly wrong. My prediction is, either he will be the leader of a new generation of change and prosperity, or the whole ship will go down in flames. Either way, it will be a spectacular sight, but I suspect that if we Americans can keep our heads out of our asses long enough and really come together, we can do something extraordinary, and that's exactly what we need.

Go us.