I just watched a segment with George Soros on Charlie Rose tonight in which he talked about the current financial crisis we face today. He briefly explained about the imperfections of market systems that have led to the housing crisis and resultant effects upon financial institutions and our economy in general. He expected a worsening scenario for the rest of 2008 into 2009. The more they talked the greater the scope of our problems became apparent. The United States has not been so stretched and strained since the Great Depression. From a currency devaluation that has eroded confidence in the dollar as the world’s benchmark currency, to endless high energy costs that continue to burden our economy, to continuing efficiencies of production of goods and services shifting to Asian economies, we are like an ailing patient who only believes in the health and vigor of their past. Watching Ben Bennake as of late is akin to a doctor who has the latest test results of his patient in hand, searching for a way to begin. He would Not do well at poker. “Washington, we have a problem…” Iraq has become the critical situation that will seriously debilitate us. The stakes are high; Iran only needs to sit by(exacerbating events to its’ advantage)while we increasingly bankrupt ourselves financially and militarily in Iraq’s quagmire, watching their power and influence rise in such a strategic region. It has become critically apparent that the scope of this war could not have been undertaken by a single country. Without any international support left, we do not have the resources to continue this endeavor for an extended period of time. Colin Powell recently stated that the U.S. military cannot continue to operate in Iraq without incurring serious damage to our capability and most importantly, to the men and women of our armed forces. Perhaps our best hope lays in General Patreaus’ strategy of negotiation and persuasion with various factions, backed with U.S. funding of course. Factions probably want to leverage and position themselves with the power of the U.S. military to their best advantage, only for the present. The key question for Senator McCain is how does he intend to pay for our continued our role in Iraq, militarily and financially in light of the new destabilizing challenges we now face in the global economy. One other note, the decisions leading to and the implementation of the strategy of shock and awe will go down as one of the most near sighted of all history . Even though none of this is new, time and resources along with judgement, can no longer be squandered.

Jean: I think much of what we have to go on is face or media value about these candidates. Young, ntelligent,inspirational… true, but how does he really function. Sen.Obama speaks of leading the U.S. in a new direction internationally; enagagement and exchange with all based on our values as a democratic society. I admire his desire for statemanship and to reestablish the role of respected leadership in the world. But the start of this millenium has been marked by whirlwind change; fundamentalist terrorism, destablization of energy markets, the seismic economic shift of production of goods and services from Western economies to Asia and, the new competition for increaingly finite commodities and resources whether it be oil/gas, food staples, or future necessities such as water, aggaraveted by the effects of climate change. Consider how the next president will deal with leaders such as Vladimir Putin. Putin is a man who was the head of the KGB, whose mission is to restore the lost power and position of Russia. Human rights and democratic principles are foreign to Putin; it is power and its’ use that comprise the fabric of Putin. Leadership and exchange does not exist in a static environment. George W. said he could tell Putin was a man of character in the grasp of their handshake… trying to lead by imitating Ronald Reagan, dear God! How will Obama establish a relationship with Putin; will Putin view him as a man principally of talk, someone fundamentally weak who would concede to pressure.There is no room here for procrastination or unwillingness to assert, to act. All of this applies to Senators Clinton and McCain also. Subsitute Ahmadinajad,Hu Jin Tao or any of the more radical Islamic leadership for Putin within the new environment of this millenium. We haven’t been able to elect an all around great President in a long time…FDR, the closest perhaps.Obama comes from the streets of Chicago but is it enough to compare to John F. Kennedy with his PT boat shot out from under him in the South Pacific. What John McCain endured was ungodly, but a Hooveresque policy didn’t work 80 years ago and is totally misplaced in today’s world environment. We need a better prerequiste for presidential candidacy other than ability to raise hundreds of millions and superficial likeability. The best hope may be continual probing and scrutiny of these candidates in order to gain better insight on who truly deserves the chance to lead.

How sad it is to read speeches from the likes of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King and realize how lacking messages are from the leaders, spokespersons of today. Senator Obama speaks in a similar vein…what is at issue is does he have the substance, the judgement behind the oratory. I really hope so…we are in such need of a leader.