h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was lucky enough to watch it all - the inauguration watched by billions - millions there and more across the world. It says something that it was the first Presidential inauguration I've ever bothered to watch.

It had to come at the very end.....in a programme on Hollywood and Washington, after Newsnight, a Hollywood insider or journalist (whatever) gave the best description of Bush I've ever heard. He said that since the 60's, Hollywood had two basic models for Presidents - the Kennedy - bright, intelligent, cool, cultured, and the Nixon - dark evil intelligence. Now Bush has given them a new one, the President as Moron - hating the bright people who look down on him, being the affable fool to their faces, then turning round and doing the wrong thing just to spite them.

How he must have hated the bright students at Yale, that his father's money and influence got him into. He was a C student - apparently that's pretty poor - in spite of all the coaches and advisors he relied on to help him get grades.

But to return to Obama and congratulations, someone said that most of America had been looking for a Kennedy, through the 60,s, 70's, 80s. 90's, nearly all the 00's. But now she'd found him. A lot of us feel the same way, even though things will be pretty tough for him and he doesn't 'do' miracles.

This is unacceptable. Because no doubt of a QUOTATION describing President Busg THAT WAS AIRED ON A BBC PROGRAMME - I EVEN IDENTIFIED THE PROGRAMME - and you have thereby removed my congratulations to America.

Error - Bush.

It's only hidden, Jabs

It could come back on its own in the morning. If not, you could ask the Eds to adjudicate when you receive and reply to your email from the mods

Thanks lil

Jabs

You're welcome... Sleep tight

Thanks, Jabs, for your congratulations... I was glued to the TV ALL day..What class.. But Justice Roberts dropped the ball administering the oath.. But when you watch it a second time and watch Obama you see his cool and control.. .. The world will be a better place when each person is each a better person... and it is such a nice change to listen to some one speak that can put not only 3 words together but 3 sentences together that make sense.... .... .. . . .. ...

I hope you're right, Jabs, but I have nagging doubts.

The day Maggie Thatcher became Prime Minster I was wandering through Brompton cemetary and saw, on Emmeline Pankhurst's grave, a bunch of flowers and a note saying that feminism had achieved its aims. I thought then that Thatcher's rise to power would be divisive and disastrous, and that she would be the last female Premier for many generations.

I had a similar feeling yesterday watching the inauguration. I'm not trying to put Thatcher and Obama into the same political category, but ...

The problems he faces are vast and, as a Ron Paul fan, you should appreciate that the methods he's going to apply to the financial situation are in essence the same as the ones Bush has used, and that Gordon Brown is applying in Britain.

He is also committed to intensifying the war in Afghanistan, and going a long with the (I believe mistaken) view that the war in Iraq is over.

So I wish him all the luck in the world, but fear that he might be the last black American president as well as the first.

I too watched it all(sky news)and from the speech he made, if he is allowed to carry it out with strong world(leaders) backing - President Obama could be the "superman" the world needs

To explain post 2, post 1 was removed at first for moderation.

Congratulations again, America.

Infie, I hope I'm right too. Expectations are so very high, in the USA and all around the world.

They were ridiculously high for some (I didn't subscribe to this myself) for Blair too. But I don't think this man is a Blair. [Or a Bush]


Jabs

I don't think Obama is a Blair, either, Jabs. It's more that I feel the job may be impossible, or impossible within the constraints of a democracy, or the American democracy.

Here's a for instance. Imagine (for the sake of argument) that the only way to deal with the Muslim situation would be to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan and cut all links with Israel and that this, in turn, would help America keep control of states like North Korea and Zimbabwe. Which in turn would save lives and make the world more peaceful. Forget whether this is true or not, just imagine that it's true.

As Bismarck said, politics is the art of the possible - and no American president, Republican or Democrat or even independent could possibly put that particular plan into action.

I feel that the tactics needed to solve our economic problems may not be politically possible. So my doubts about Obama imply no disrespect to the man himself.

It is a not only a great time for America, it is a great time for us all.

My two cents' worth:

No question about it, Barack Obama is a powerful orator. He doesn't make you cringe the way a few of his predecessors (of both political parties) did. He seems cool and in command, but he has a beautiful smile, which should help keep him from seeming too icy.

So what if he's going to try things that Bush II and Blair have tried? What other tools does he have at his disposal? The central problem has been building for ten to twenty years, and can't possibly go away overnight. Relax. Palliative measures have to be applied so fewer homeless people (due to repossessed homes) have to sleep in their cars. So we try building projects to put unemployed construction workers to work? Well, we can't let them starve, and welfare as we used to know it is gone, and most importantly a lot of roads and bridges are going to heck. The work needs to be done anyway, and now there are people who need the work.

But, yes, it's easy to jump-start a lackluster economy when interest rates are high. You lower the rates, people who couldn't afford to buy things (like cars and houses) suddenly can afford it, and their buying reignites the economy (and, eventually, inflation ). But rates are so low now that very little stimulative potential exists for such a move. It's been likened to "pushing on a string".

I agree with all 3 of you - Infie, TT and Paul.

Jabs

And I'm still a Ron Paul fan, Infie. But look at what Barama's done already - by immediate decree he's already cancelled the military tribunals in Guantano Bay, thus giving the inmates access to full and free trials.

Actually closing the place will take longer, according to a commentator, because he has to figure out what to do with some of the dangerous men there. (Nobody claims they're all innocent). I imagine Ron would have them tried or released, according to natural justice, but I doubt that Obama would go that far. It's a good start though.

Jabs

Obama seems to be starting out with a full agenda of things he wants to tackle.

-- So what if he's going to try things that Bush II and Blair have tried? (Paul H, post 13) --

Einstein said "problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them".

All politicians are solving a problem brought into existence by debt by creating more debt. The only arguments between them are how willing they are to float more debt and how aggressively they plan to cut taxes. The only exceptions are in countries like Brazil which have been ruined by debt within living memory.

Obama seems like a decent, hard-working man. Bush, Blair and Brown seem very unsavoury in comparison. But though I applaud the new President and wish him well, it's tentative applause.

I've just stumbled across two articles in this morning's Independent (UK daily paper) that support my arguments.

The first is by a journalist disappointed with the inauguration speech:


http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-so-far-obamas-missed-the-point-on-gaza-1488632.html


The second one is a report on a former partner of George Soros, Jim Rogers, and his view on government-produced debt and its effect on the British economy:


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/now-its-time-to-emigrate-says-investment-guru-1488629.html


Though the main thrust of his argument criticises Brown and the Bank of England, he thinks the Fed is on the road to bankruptcy as well.

Sorry to keep banging on, but I've just discovered that the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 332 points on Tuesday, which is the worst sell-off ever for an Inauguration Day.

The theory is that stock markets look at the future, which is what they were doing when everyone else was celebrating the present, and the end of a very bad era.

I truly hope I'm wrong to worry, but I didn't think I should keep all this stuff to myself.

if they tax the air, everybody will stop breathing to save money, that'll show em!