Epistle to America
On the 5th of November 2008, the people of America, perhaps not with an overwhelming popular majority vote, but never the less, decided to create a visible transformation in the way of looking at themselves through the prism of politics. The battle between the Democrats and the Republicans was finally concluded in a popular vote, enough of a vote to note the date as a momentous occasion. For a country like the USA with its rapidly create deviant ethnic mix, irresolute of its world direction, hampered by its cavalier independent foundation and uncomfortable with the state of the union as depicted in Washington; gained the 1st non Caucasian President. Some say the obvious statement as black president, using the term as political ethnic statement as in the first black president; rather than ignore the skin colour and admit to the occasion as being one that has hopefully elected the most promising, educated and intelligent American into office for decades. In some way the event is similar to that which carried John Fitzgerald Kennedy to the white house, carried forward on a spirit of optimism for a future, a future for America cut short by his assassination from which act stemmed the following decades of progressive generating decline and corruption in politic life culminating in the Bush years.
Now, using President elect senator Obama's word, “change” is in the offering against a time when it is more urgently required than ever before. Apart from the difficulties that are already laid out, the greatest challenge will be; will America allow change to take place? Or will it once more destroy its opportunity to change in even a limited myriad of ways and slid further into decline, something that it cannot truly afford to do.
The great strength of America is its resources unity under its flag however within this there is multiplicity of views, race dynamics of hopes and expectations for the different ethnic mix that increasing is the make up of the united states. Such strength though is wrapped up in the self delusion that this translates into the belief that it is and is seen as, a superpower. That the USA is tactically a perceived superpower may only be due in no small measure to its military might but it is not a superpower. It has the structures and potential stature to become one and one in the future may be needed but its time latterly has been running out.
There is now a window of opportunity. It is one thing to elect an unusual person but it is entirely a different thing to change an administrative and organisations inertia from one that has been shaped by the philosophy of miscreants infecting the direction of state resources and the imperceptible resistance that a number of individual can defy change in implementing policy shifts. Attempting to change the indolence of the administration that has been moulded to bend to the will of a few placed individuals, will be a challenge to both democrats and republicans that do not want to give up their mind locks of how they view what is best for America. It will be a battle that the president has to win and it is likely that with Obama what you see is not what you get, behind that educated eloquent balanced air may well be a determined and forceful ego that could verge on being dictatorial if events do not match expectations. The political and corporate establishment may find themselves under pressure and scrutiny they have never had before and they will be held accountable to an electorate that may choose not to be so un-represented in the affairs of Wall Street and Main Street again.
So for the sake of change what are his first’s tasks likely to be? Clearly he has to appoint staff of like persuasive minds and have the tenacity to push for a change in the negative policy inertia that has stalled the progression of the USA to be a truly integrated sophisticated powerful country that has also the potential to become a superpower. In order to do so it must generate success in changing the perceptive social differentials that pervades the whole culture of American life. Those that have an abundance of resources are only out number by those that do not and cannot obtain even the aspiration to become resources positive. The inequality of American life is comparable with the poverty of a 3rd world country like India or china. It may have some of the superficial trappings of superpower but it is some way away from the essence of that term which it will need to sustain it in the future by taking on the challenge to address fundamentals like:-
Economics: The USA is the biggest debtor in the world with productive capacity that will not be able to match the competitive shift in the global market. The current plea by the big car manufacturers to provide’ investment’ funds or sees them enter chapter 11 and possible collapse is just a small sample of what could be in store from its own created problem.
Education: The education attainment of students is falling with different states and region within states offering widely different quality of tutorials. Most America have poor grasp of world affairs and in overall educational terms do not match the average of EU, Chinas or Indian breadth
Health: it does not have a unified health provision, is held to ransom by the avaricious medical profession and health insurance industry, increasingly its population is falling out of any adequate medical provision and its population is notably obese.
Defence: The military spends has become a financial Damocles handicap of a use it or loose it stratagem, one it can not afford to continue without generating greater economic strength.
Energy: As the largest user of carbon fuel it is the largest producer of waste gases. It needs to decouple it reliance on carbon fuels faster than any other country, hydrogen and nuclear may be its best options.
Infrastructure: Bridges, roads and railways are falling apart, there is no central federal policy to invest new or rebuild for a low carbon future.
Social Integration: With its internal divers ethnic mix, that is coalescing into cultural and language enclaves which although acknowledging a flag unified country, there is very little actual allegiance to an American cultural whole.
Little of this is new, it is all well known but the difference now is that there is likely to be a president that knows and wants to do something about it, it may be the beginning of America’s epiphany and we wish it well but it will need a good decade to see if it can raise to the challenge of ‘change’.
© Renot 2008
2111081547
Now, using President elect senator Obama's word, “change” is in the offering against a time when it is more urgently required than ever before. Apart from the difficulties that are already laid out, the greatest challenge will be; will America allow change to take place? Or will it once more destroy its opportunity to change in even a limited myriad of ways and slid further into decline, something that it cannot truly afford to do.
The great strength of America is its resources unity under its flag however within this there is multiplicity of views, race dynamics of hopes and expectations for the different ethnic mix that increasing is the make up of the united states. Such strength though is wrapped up in the self delusion that this translates into the belief that it is and is seen as, a superpower. That the USA is tactically a perceived superpower may only be due in no small measure to its military might but it is not a superpower. It has the structures and potential stature to become one and one in the future may be needed but its time latterly has been running out.
There is now a window of opportunity. It is one thing to elect an unusual person but it is entirely a different thing to change an administrative and organisations inertia from one that has been shaped by the philosophy of miscreants infecting the direction of state resources and the imperceptible resistance that a number of individual can defy change in implementing policy shifts. Attempting to change the indolence of the administration that has been moulded to bend to the will of a few placed individuals, will be a challenge to both democrats and republicans that do not want to give up their mind locks of how they view what is best for America. It will be a battle that the president has to win and it is likely that with Obama what you see is not what you get, behind that educated eloquent balanced air may well be a determined and forceful ego that could verge on being dictatorial if events do not match expectations. The political and corporate establishment may find themselves under pressure and scrutiny they have never had before and they will be held accountable to an electorate that may choose not to be so un-represented in the affairs of Wall Street and Main Street again.
So for the sake of change what are his first’s tasks likely to be? Clearly he has to appoint staff of like persuasive minds and have the tenacity to push for a change in the negative policy inertia that has stalled the progression of the USA to be a truly integrated sophisticated powerful country that has also the potential to become a superpower. In order to do so it must generate success in changing the perceptive social differentials that pervades the whole culture of American life. Those that have an abundance of resources are only out number by those that do not and cannot obtain even the aspiration to become resources positive. The inequality of American life is comparable with the poverty of a 3rd world country like India or china. It may have some of the superficial trappings of superpower but it is some way away from the essence of that term which it will need to sustain it in the future by taking on the challenge to address fundamentals like:-
Economics: The USA is the biggest debtor in the world with productive capacity that will not be able to match the competitive shift in the global market. The current plea by the big car manufacturers to provide’ investment’ funds or sees them enter chapter 11 and possible collapse is just a small sample of what could be in store from its own created problem.
Education: The education attainment of students is falling with different states and region within states offering widely different quality of tutorials. Most America have poor grasp of world affairs and in overall educational terms do not match the average of EU, Chinas or Indian breadth
Health: it does not have a unified health provision, is held to ransom by the avaricious medical profession and health insurance industry, increasingly its population is falling out of any adequate medical provision and its population is notably obese.
Defence: The military spends has become a financial Damocles handicap of a use it or loose it stratagem, one it can not afford to continue without generating greater economic strength.
Energy: As the largest user of carbon fuel it is the largest producer of waste gases. It needs to decouple it reliance on carbon fuels faster than any other country, hydrogen and nuclear may be its best options.
Infrastructure: Bridges, roads and railways are falling apart, there is no central federal policy to invest new or rebuild for a low carbon future.
Social Integration: With its internal divers ethnic mix, that is coalescing into cultural and language enclaves which although acknowledging a flag unified country, there is very little actual allegiance to an American cultural whole.
Little of this is new, it is all well known but the difference now is that there is likely to be a president that knows and wants to do something about it, it may be the beginning of America’s epiphany and we wish it well but it will need a good decade to see if it can raise to the challenge of ‘change’.
© Renot 2008
2111081547
posted by Renot at 7:49 am
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