Janus

Janus is the God of beginnings and endings after whom January is named. As January approaches and the old year winds down it seems appropriate to ponder our own endings and beginnings.

The end is thankfully near for the Bush Administration while, ever hopeful, the world awaits the begining of the Obama era. Seldom has there been such optimism surrounding an individual as that which surrounds Obama. This despite the early indications that rather than delivering change he is opting for continuity.

The end is at hand for 2008, yet the damage done to the markets over the past several decades appears likely to continue to arrive for the forseeable future. A recent prediction in the Wall Street Journal based on a mathmetical analysis of 27 million mortgages asserts that the 60 day deliquency rate for mortgages will almost double before the end of 2009, which has yet to begin.

The end appears to be beginning to arrive for the misadventure in Iraq, while the next surge is being launched into Afghanistan. The end of the war began on 9/11/01 appears illusive. Already this is the longest war in the history of America.

Each of us has our own endings and beginnings to ponder as 2008 withers and 2009 approaches. May your endings be happy ones and may your beginings bring you succdess as well as pleasure!

Obama's Opportunity

This is a unique moment and expectations for change are soaring.

Yet the early warning signals seem to indicate that Obama is likely to "stay the course" in too many respects. The President Elect tapped a member of the Clinton Old Guard to become Chief of Staff. The Vice President Elect is a member of the foreign policy establishment. Plans appear in place to increase the troop levels in Afghanistan and maintain the current Administration's Secretary of Defense.

Although it seems that real change could come if the new President has the will and imagination to think outside the box.

Imagine he ends "race, sex and ethnicity" based preference programs. With a Black man in the Presidency does affirmative action really have a place in American society?

Imagine he brings home the troops stationed in Japan and Germany. After all the war they won ended almost 65 years ago and the Soviet threat evaporated about eighteen years ago. Is it really appropriate to enforce a "Pax Americana" on the world any more?

Imagine he endorses a National Initiative to actually give the people the right to decide important policies rather than allowing the current corrupt system to continue without a check and balance. My personal favorite or all the possible forms of National Initiative is at "http://www.ni4d.org" and you can vote for it today. What if the President Elect were to endorse this concept?

These are just a few ideas. You no doubt have others equally outside the box and perhaps better than those offered by The Rainmaker. And, the new Administration has invited us to participate in suggesting audacious ideas. They have created a web site at "http://change.gov" where you can offer your suggestions. Although skepticism is tempting, what do you have to lose by offering a suggestion or several?

The Wisdom of the Prophet

The scribe Gerard Baker, US Editor and Assistant Editor of The Times of London, wrote the report you can find at the link below and verily I say unto you this is the most entertaining political satire that I have read this millennium. The scribe's missive is titled:

"He ventured forth to bring light to the world!

In which missive the scribe describes how, "The anointed one' pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action-and a blessing to all his faithful followers!"

I invite you to click on the following link and enjoy the read:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article4392846.ece

You might actually find political enlightenment as you ponder the scribe's words.