Next week, Barack Obama finally will be sworn in, after the long campaign and transition. Our new president will enter the White House with enormous good will, but a shortened honeymoon because of the many crises he will face.
A month after we learned about the arrest of “Rod from Chicago”, he’s still in
office, though now facing impeachment. He’ll go down fighting, but down he will go. How many will he take with him and at what additional cost?“Bailouts” become “stimulus”; billions go to banks while the little guys are still waiting. Words matter but priorities need to change.
The movie awards season offers exciting entries and a rich mix of memora
ble characters. Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke, and Ka
te Winslet
stand out in a field filled with great performances; don’t neglect to notice the current golden age of acting and film making that is now. On the Broadway stage, In The Heights lifts the spirits and serves as the ideal antidote for recession and psychic fatigue of the last few years.
Netherland, by Joseph O’Neill, is a must read for anyone interested in evolving class distinctions in the urban global economy. This novel describes post 9-11 New York beyond the headlines and boundaries of Manhattan. Beautifully written, with insight and sensitivity, it tells personal stories of striving and struggle as diverse lives intersect.
The automakers’ reprieve will keep them going for months, at least. Will only the strong survive?
Corporate excess may not disappear, but moderation will intervene. At least the public spectacles of junkets while the government writes checks, flying in private jets while plants are closing, and begging for bailouts while accepting big bonuses, will be managed better for the public’s eyes.
Media will continue to become more distinct as technology makes grassroots approaches more powerful. The MSM will flail about figuring out what works today, while continuing to react to tomorrow, instead of leading the way. The tension between corporate media and personal expression will actually work to improve each other, as the balance of power tips even further to the entrepreneurial.
Global conflict will not go away. How it is managed and where war wages will change. The United States will play a more useful role toward quelling conflict and improving economic conditions.
Personal health and the way we manage the earth’s environment and food supply will be more closely linked, leading to long range benefits.
Service will become a more cherished virtue. Greed will not disappear but will be forced to change its face. Self interest will continue to motivate but align better with fulfilling, rather than trumping, the collective needs of our communities. And we will be surprised.
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