Change, Change, Change......

The New York Times article "Climate of Change" by Paul Krugman addresses some of the changes we have seen with the new administration, and some we hope to see in the future. Everyone is focused on the massive stimulus bill that was just passed, but there are other concerns that President Obama has addressed in his early days in office. If he can do things similar to getting this bill passed, we may indeed be in store for some fundamental changes in the way things are done in this country. President Obama's plan to reduce the deficit in his first term is commendable, and according to Krugman, plausible. How this will work while reforming health care and taming big banks remains to be seen. While there have been a few disappointments, overall the direction seems to be a positive one. From generating new revenue while focusing on the environment, there is the possibility that the new President's plan just might work. To quote Krugman, "these new priorities are laid out in a document whose clarity and plausibility seem almost incredible to those of us who grew accustomed to reading Bush-era budgets". This is promising for all of us who have learned to be wary of promises made my the commander-in-chief over the last eight years. When the current financial crisis passes and we get out of Iraq, the budget should improve dramatically. We are spending about 100 billion a year fighting the war in Iraq, so there's a sizable chunk right there. According to Krogan, the one we must get under control is the ever-increasing cost of health care.

This is a promising time for the country. Most people have aligned themselves behind the new president, in hopes that he can rescue us from this dire economic slump. In order for us to remain on top of the food chain politically, we have to right the ship and continue to be the standard bearer for the rest of the world. While not everyone agrees with that assessment, I feel that we should be the shining light that other countries in the world aspire to. We have been champions against oppression and aggression for nearly a century, and I feel that we must keep that mantle and fix things within our own borders.

I personally feel that President Obama can do the things he says he can do, provided he gets the support he needs from Congress. If there's one thing his predecessor did for him, it was remove some of the barriers and give him more power and less oversight than any president before him has ever had. I don't necessarily agree with everything that the new President plans on, but I agree with his assessment of the seriousness of the situation, and the fact that it must be fixed, now. I just hope that he doesn't stumble or falter along the way, and my hopes are that he will be remembered as the President who saved the most powerful nation in the world from itself.