Change is 'gooder' than greed

Yesterday saw the inauguration of America's 44th president - Barack Obama - who, as anyone who hasn't been living in a cave (and some that have) will know, is the first American president of black heritage.  Personally it wouldn't matter to me if he was of Martian and Vulcan descent - I couldn't care less about his race.  

What interests me about Obama is his character. He seems fair and honest, forthright and truthful; the antithesis of his predecessor.  If his inauguration speech is anything to go by however, he believes in an image of the perfect USA - the one that Bruce Springstein sings about.  Does it even exist? That's what Obama is going to find out.  

It seems from all the television coverage at his election he has summoned the votes of all the democrats, most of the politically central republicans, some previously apathetic minorities and the majority of American women.  No doubt he is a charismatic and handsome fella, he has a model family by his side including a first lady so obviously wholesome yet confident and strong that the fembot Sarah Palin and the yesteryear John McCain never stood a chance.  McCain brought memories of war, he's a Southerner with grey hair, he's a republican - the basic ingredients were the same as George Dubbleya's - he never stood a chance.  There it is - American democracy a key component of fairy tale USA.  Obama's very rise to power is proof that America is fulfilling it's self billing as the world's great democracy.

Obama's first challenge is to bankroll huge infrastructural investment throughout America, similar to the economic principle of FDR - and dare I day it, Adolf Hitler (look it up - where did you think the autobahns came from?).  Gordon Brown is advocating the same tactic (on perhaps a smaller scale).  The political system in America means that the Senate have to give Obama the green light. Brown on the other hand, may have a little more autonomy, which should help make up for his charisma bypass.  

In these times of change we must ask how different from Blair is Brown?  Not very.  OK he's sterner and Scottish, but he's still the other column that held up the centralised 'new' Labour party in 1997.  Luckily for him he didn't have to win an election and Cameron is a Blair clone with a plum in his mouth, a blue tie round his Gregory and sawdust in his head.  Back to the topic.... If Obama succeeds in persuading the tax payer and the Senate that self sacrifice is the path to enlightenment and he is proved right, then across the pond the economy will get a shot in the arm. This could allow Brown to see us out of the economic crisis, then he'll call an election and his campaign buzz word will be 'stability'.  And he'll win - all on the back of change.  America influences the world, positively.  I can almost hear The Boss tuning up his Fender.

Obama's inauguration speech was about navigating and leaving this harsh economic Winter, but no specific mention of Katrina and the devastation it left behind in New Orleans.  I can't help likening Bush to the hurricane - coming in, staying longer than predicted and destroying all in his path, leaving people without basic shelter, flooding the streets (with credit and weapons) and tottering off to a calm and peaceful retirement leaving death and destruction in his wake.  Let's see if Obama can react to to the international destruction more decisively than the last administration managed in its own back yard.

If Obama is the handyman brought in to fix the catastrophic DIY mistakes of GWB and he succeeds, he could be remembered as the greatest president - not just the first 'black' one, and that is his goal.  He's already fixed the democracy so obviously broken at the beginning of Bush's second term in office - just by turning up.  What could he do in the seat of power? He could pull the world out of war and out of the economic stone age.

3 months, 2 posts, is blogging for me?

It's been a busy few months since I last (first) blogged and I'm as confused as ever as to what I should be writing about.  I know that all I've read about is the economy, who am I to buck the trend?

Since September I've sat 5 exams, found out that I passed 4 of them, put more hours in at work per week than I've ever done, achieved pretty much everything I've wanted in work, gone to a previously unprecedented number of company freebies, re-enrolled at Reading University for my third year of four, spent a large amount of money on video games that I don't have time to play, discovered that I'm not very interested in soccer anymore, played a fair bit of rugby and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I'm watching less TV, listening to less radio, spending less time online, playing fewer video games, spending less time with family and friends and feel that life is actually more rewarding.  Perhaps in the past 10 or 15 years of economic bliss we've all just spent to much time 'out'.  I'm deeper into the 'rat-race' than ever and I'm genuinely happy.  I blame the weakened economy for my new found purpose.

2009 is not going to be easy for anyone (except perhaps the Lebanese!  news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7764657.stm), thankfully for me the company I work for has a number of contracts already secured - but we have to consider that each and every one of our customers is looking to scrimp and save at every juncture.  We must not try to follow suit but stay ahead of the trend, buying better, paying later, wasting less and keeping excellent records whilst chasing cash as aggresively as we dare and keeping the clients sweet.  That should mean we can some out of the recession in a stronger position, we'll be bigger, better structured, more professional and more profitable.  A lot of this will be a huge culture shock to some senior staff but it could be the making of us all.  Clients are screwing down prices and that will be passed on to suppliers and sub-contractors, the strong will survive and prosper the weak will fail, I'm making it my personal mission to make sure we come out on top.

Everyone has to learn to be more frugal and that mentality will begin at home.  Negative equity is a reality and credit and store card debts are its ugly little siblings.  We're going to become a single car household, we're actively trying to cash in on our assets, be that the Playstation 3 I've just acquired or the (extremely stable) company issue shares my wife is lucky enough to consider part of her modest salary.  I've only met one person who's saving on their mortgage, what with our newly ridiculous base rate of 2% you'd expect us all to benefit - turns out that the banks can do exactly what they want.  Hang on, isn't that what got us into this mess? Oh dear.  Our own mortgage is a fixed rate deal with the dreaded NRock, I shudder to think what will happen when the term of the deal expires in May '09.

All in all the recession has exhilarated me, the previous ease with which anyone could find work or credit just meant that no-one had to work very hard for anything and I'm the type of person who needs real motivation before I even pull my finger out... 

Am I alone, no I donn't think so; maybe this is my generation's chance to shine.

Hello world!

Right, where do I start.... Dear diary..... Is that what a blog is? Adrian Mole's 21st century chronological record of thoughts and events.... No it isn't that, is it? Is it journalism for the masses? It could be. But good journalism needs a good editor, and I'm not about to employ one to critique, censor and distort my personal stream of conscientious. Is it a self indulgent foray into the written word to show how clever we all are? It can be any or all of these things methinks (and more of course) - that's why I've decided to start one. You see, I'm a chameleon of sorts. My interests are many, my knowledge is spread (very) thin and wide across the whole spectrum of modern society from sports to literature, from pubs to politics, from pop music to economics, from computer games to comedy, from blah blah blah to so and so; you get the idea.

For what seems like many years I've trawled the net (no pun intended) for websites devoted to each of these interests and (others too) but find that their narrow scope affords me little room for general discussion. Often everyone is typing so hard and so frequently that they never read what others have to say and usually resort to name calling. Name calling is another of my interests by the way. One thing I do enjoy that can (sometimes) keep my wandering mind on a single path, is writing. It's very personal but I'm ready to share, so I've started this blog to dip into my varying interests and give the world my lofty opinion of all and sunder that I survey.

What's on my mind at the moment? Blogging. I'll do a little research and get back to you, whoever and wherever you may be.