This year, it almost seems as if ushering in the New Year was done with impatience, as if 2008 had outlived its usefulness before it expired. A lot of that can be attributed to the economic woes of the country, which are very significant and severe, and the pressing need for solutions to the problems that the shattered economy has created.
Of course, the biggest event thus far in the New Year is the presidential inauguration, which took place on January 20. It would be an understatement to say that the event was anxiously awaited by millions of people.
From the data that came in, the Inauguration drew such massive crowds of people from such a wide radius that many of my co-workers, so anxious to watch history in the making first hand, expressed concern about being trapped amid the hordes of onlookers.
With the ceremony now past, I look ahead. The job that President Barack Obama has before him is not for the faint of heart. During the election, there was much talk about his inexperience. Even the most experienced politician would be hard pressed to face the obstacles set before the new president.
The economy is in ruins. Numerous sectors of the economy are beckoning for bailouts. There are still unfinished wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which were somehow pushed into the background of the public’s view and remain a concern unlikely to go away.
These are but a few of the issues that President Obama must deal with from the outset. There is little question that his ability to take control and to lead will be tested from the start.
With so many problems that are pressing, the problem of homelessness receives nary a mention. As painful as it may sound, now there is a struggle to keep homeowners in their homes without getting around to housing those people who have already lost their homes.
Never mind the fact that housing the homeless has been proven to be a more cost-effective solution than leaving them homeless. That argument does not seem to have an audience right now.
Programs that would house the homeless fall under the category of social welfare, and in times of austerity, social welfare programs are the first to be cut. Even if an argument can be made as to the cost effectiveness of such a program, its chances of being approved in the current climate are virtually nonexistent.
I have actually heard some persons who have already said, “Obama ran an election promising change. What change has there been?”
I won’t dignify such a remark with an answer. I know that real change will not happen in a week’s time, or in a month’s time. It will be a process, not an isolated incident, if it is to be effective. Likewise, comments that Obama is a “socialist” never fail to make me snicker. For most Americans, “socialism” conjures up memories of the Cold War and communism, which are not the same thing at all.
The United States is one nation in which socialism has never taken root, and the likelihood of it happening is extremely remote.
It is easy to understand that many people are fearful in times like these. People are confused and afraid of the unknown and look for leadership to reassure them that things will ultimately be all right.
However, not everyone is sure that they can believe in the leadership that will be taking over the country. That uncertainty gives a very uncomfortable feeling. The only thing any of us can do right now is to wait and see. We elected a President; we have to wait and see the results of that choice.
