Goodbye to Greed -- Hello to Need

It took eight years for Bush and friends to turn the free market into a flea market, and what took years to destroy may take years to rebuild as a more durable, adult supervised economy. No easy task for a President Obama. We'll have to be patient, although patience is not our national virtue, and it is hard to ask those with a family to feed and no new work on the horizon to wait for their piece of the bailout. Brilliant as Obama may be, he is still human.

Before Obama even arrives at the White House the far right is whispering that our future President is a secret alien. I hope they are on to something. With any luck we will discover that Obama is not really a human but comes to us from the Planet Oahu, a distant star in the galaxy much feared by Rush Limbaugh, Grand Master of the Planet Oxycodone and his satellite followers, the Oxymorons. The Oxys live in dread of Obama's extraterrestrial power to turn red states blue; okay - deep purple - transform despair into hope, and recession into prosperity. But as Obama says, he can't do it alone. That is why he needs earthling critics from the left to shine a light on his missteps and his accomplishments as we defend him from those on the far right who can't wait for him to stumble.

It strikes me that Obama is the coolest man to become President in my lifetime. We need to keep him that way. Cool works now as never before. Forget the warm and cuddly search for the perfect puppy and the photo ops with those adorable children of his. And lose the beefcake on the beach. Who needs a president who looks like he's busy staying buff? A little flab around the middle will bring credibility back to the White House. Remember, Bush was fit in every way except mentally and morally for the job.

Here it comes, folks, my wish list. Duck now if you're scared of lists: we need new and better jobs; safer bridges; modern trains and a national light rail system; public schools that teach civics; universal health care, and national parks safe from commercial exploitation. More? You mean that? Or are you just being nice to me because it's the New Year? Okay, we need an educated population for the new jobs and that means good primary schools that aren't run on the arbitrary, thought destroying standards of No Child Left Behind. We need truly affordable colleges for every one with the will to learn. And we need to restore the teaching of the arts in our public schools to create well rounded citizens whose greatest pleasure as an adult is not a video game. We need to enforce environmental safety standards so our kids and grand-kids have clean air to breathe and pure water to drink. We need banking regulations that make banks lend our government's money to actual working people; immigration reform, and careful oversight on the trillions that will be spent to restart the country. And, oh yes, we need a modest foreign policy that does not dig us deeper into a disastrous war in Afghanistan.

While we're remaking the world for the New Year, we need Hollywood to make movies that entertain grownups with strong stories and vivid characters; movies that move us again and thrill us without depending on ear shattering, eye wrecking special effects. We need TV that doesn't litter the new channels with cheap quiz shows and panels of smarmy experts speaking trash to wannabe singers and dancers. Crap in high resolution is still crap, only with more pixels in it.

Here's what we don't need: Obama's choice of Rick Warren for that inaugural invocation. This was a blunder that won't find cover in Barack's big tent politics. No tent is large enough to hold a new president and a new bigot, no matter how much the bigot looks like chubby, cheerful Uncle Charley, now reformed, who once hustled crowds at the carnival.

Warren is a charismatic figure who famously helps the poor and the sick throughout the world with the royalties of his best selling inspirational books. Noble as that may be, Rick Warren regards gays as a biblical abomination and sends out that message to his massive following. Such messages are not lost on the skin head with the scary tattoo eager to go out for a friendly fag bashing. What is Warren doing as a speaker at an inaugural for all Americans? As Gertrude Stein would say, a bigot is a bigot is a bigot. Learn, Barack, learn. Civil Rights are a universal need; it isn't black, white, straight, or gay. It's for everyone. Even Republicans.

Here's some unsolicited advice from an older straight white male for gay leaders outraged by the passage of Prop 8. Fight for all the civil rights of marriage without worrying about the symbolic ceremony that so excites the opposition. Fight for the right of a surviving partner of a same sex union to receive the deceased partner's pension and Social Security benefits. Fight for the right to file joint tax returns, for the rights of inheritance, shared health insurance, and every other right that a married couple enjoys. These are achievable goals which Obama and the Congress can meet if pressed to do so. Get the rights and let the wedding bells follow. And to those who voted Yes for Prop 8, a prediction. You may not think so now but you just voted against yourself and your own children.

As we enter the New Year let us not forget those wonderful little rascals from the GOP's Our Gang Comedy: Condi, Turd Blossom, Brownie, Gonzo and Scooter who played such crazy tricks on our country. Just consider what these lovable scamps did in the past eight years: they ignored the warning about 9/11; they left the poor of New Orleans to languish and die after Katrina; they tricked this country into a calamitous, life taking, bank breaking war; they abused our planet by failing to meet environmental standards; they shackled scientific research, made a sneaky grab for extra-constitutional power, blurred the separation of church and state, corrupted the Justice Department, and helped to destroy the economy by the deregulation of oversight. It wasn't just the housing bubble that burst - all bubbles pop - it was the greed driven life that came to us through Bush and his people, the governmental dishonesty flowing outward to our financial markets which didn't need much encouragement to become Hedge Fund hawks and Ponzi style swindlers.

That pyramid on our dollar bill should have been a warning about pyramid schemes; instead it became an inspiration to our financial leaders during the Bush years. By choosing not to change course after the Enron debacle, the crash of '08 was inevitable. We need a modern Dickens to describe the way the rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and everyone in between got crushed, squeezed and screwed. Bush and Cheney, aided by Rummy, had a genius for spreading ruin while lining the pockets of friends and supporters. What was once called war profiteering they called nation building. And when everything collapsed, they were distinguished by their refusal to accept responsibility for their calamitous, often criminal acts. A dazed and befuddled Alan Greenspan mumbled a mea culpa for his flawed guardianship of our national finances, but it didn't come through loud and clear. And many people, including me, don't trust any of the bozos now in charge of the bailout.

A special New Year's greeting to Sandra Day O'Connor and those Supremes who first put Bush and his jokers in power. Until we hear "sorry," go to the corner for a time out, and sit there very quietly, even if you have to stay there the rest of your natural lives.

Unfortunately, a President Obama is unlikely to delve into the crimes of his predecessor, viewing it as a distraction from restoring the economy, repairing our reputation in the world, and uniting the country as he tries to save it. A big mistake. Without accountability governments tend to repeat the same crimes only with new players. Power will do that to you even if you start out as one of the good guys. Without a new transparency in the White House what is to keep a bright and ambitious Rahm Emanuel from becoming our next Karl Rove? His modesty? His profanity? His ballet lessons?

On a personal note, '08 was a good year for me despite the sadness that came with the passing of an old friend. What made it so good was the entrance of new life into my family. I've been here to welcome the birth of the two most beautiful twin girls on planet Earth, my infant granddaughters. And I've had some magical days with my amazing three year old granddaughter, who, after a recent visit, said, "Thank you Pop-Pop, I had the best time I never had." So here's wishing all of you the best time you never had in 2009.

Comments

[wiseguy77]

A splendid post that reviews the past and looks to the future with remarkable insight. Keep writing for the Huffpost. We need the voices of experienced older men and women, people like you who care about this country, and the quality of life for all people. .

[Melissa]

We need to take personal responsibility for our overspending, overborrowing, buying houses would could not afford, taking out loans against our homes, buying huge trucks and SUV's, etc. etc. The government and wall street are not the only people who got us into this financial mess.

[langerlongshot]

i understand your point, but...

i never voted for bush. i protested the war before it started. i don't use credit and save as much money as possible. i drive a 10 year old saab that i paid cash for less than 3000-4000 miles year as i bike almost everywhere. i recycle. i volunteer in my community. i use the library instead of buying books. i have two college degrees and have worked for the same company for 18 years. i didn't buy a house because i did not feel i could afford it and paid for college for my daughter instead.

yet my job is being outsourced to india march 1st. i've watched $35,000 disappear from the safest possible investment options in my 401k in the last two months. and i'm scared about my future.

so exactly how am i (and the millions just like me) "responsible"?

[therealredstateblues]

The banks should take more responsibility in lending - checking credit, requiring downpayments and not pushing risky ARMs and other gimmicky loans, or trying to encourage people to borrow more than they need

[Olampean]

Nicely said!

[bobwalters]

Happy New Year! Great post, and congratulations on your grandchildren! I have 9 of them, and love everyone of them dearly. Obama certainly has his work cut out for him, and I don't envy him for the pressures he'll endure, but I, too, have faith in him as Pres. Deeply regret that the Bush Crime Family will be allowed to slink away with all the loot that your and my grandchildren will have to pay for down the line, and maybe -- just maybe -- if enough of us keep the heat on Congress AND Obama, we can actually get indictments and convictions of the sorry SOBs -- hopefully not just the cameo walk-ons, as with Abu Ghraib. Would be a good idea to keep Guantanamo open and operating to house the Crime Family -- it's actually cheaper than shipping them all to Iraq/Abu Ghraib, or Bagram in Afghanistan. Perhaps a one-way exploratory mission to Pluto, with ALL their DNA-connected relatives would be nice. It would save lots of money in the long run, and would certainly clean up the environment.

[janpradder]

Great post! Happy New Year!

[loril]

Mr Sherman Yellen,

This is another example of why I always seek out your posts. Although I often wish you would post more, I appreciate the fact that you elevate quality over quantity. You have a thoughtful grace in your writing...but also hard determination. You speak for a lot of us.

I am glad you had some bright spots in the old year.

[kenstremsky]

Happy New Year

"Hiding in the Shadows
The Growth of the Underground Economy" is located at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/issues/issues30/index.htm

The less underground an economy is the more revenues that state governments may obtain from sales taxes and income taxes.

Governments should legalize, regulate, and tax the sale of marijuana, heroin, and cocaine for people who are at least 18 years old.

If the federal government is serious about growing the economy and creating jobs, it should stop taxing interest from savings accounts, dividends, capital gains, and estates.

People should be allowed to use public money via vouchers to send their children to private religious schools belonging to many different religions to make "free exercise" of religion easier. Amendment One says "free exercise" of religion. When government says public money may only be used to send children to secular schools, it is bringing about the "establishment of religion "(atheism).

My website is http://www.myspace.com/kennethstremsky

Sincerely,

Ken Stremsky

[therealredstateblues]

We need to learn from our friendly neighbor to the north and get better about minding our own business in world affairs. It is our meddling foreing policy that drives most of the anit american sentiment around the globe and thus decreases our national security

we can no longer afford to be the worlds policeman in terms of cost and politics, especially when we have so much problems internally to conquer

[softly58873]

No bigger suckers in the world than the American tax payers. Really got the shaft for the past eight years and they continue to take it up the a$$. Got what they deserve!!!

[SeriousBlack]

"We need a modern Dickens to describe the way the rich got richer, the poor got poorer, and everyone in between got crushed, squeezed and screwed."

Sounds like a job for Michael Moore. Seriously!

[rockne]

You are kidding, right? Moore is one of the rich who got richer.

[Changeizgood]

HAPPY NEW YEAR DEAR FELLOW AMERICANS!!

Is there a plan in process to go "kicking and screaming?"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=od29Ece8OsE

WTF!!!!!!!!!! ARIANNA, SAY IT ISN'T SO. KICK THIS TO BILL MAHER RIGHT AWAY,
Let's stop this NOW!

Let's make sure there are many more HAPPY NEW YEARS TO COME ASAP ON THE INFO AND MEDIA.

[kozy]

Sherman, too much common sense, intelligence, thoughful opinions, and down right good analyses all in a short article is SCARY! I happen to agree with everything you say and that really IS scary. Wing nuttery hopefully is out starting in 2009, but I wouldn't bet on it. Obama has to take charge after January 20 and push back against the destructive forces of the far right and keep up the campaign against the forces of truncated thnking, against forces encouraging culture wars, and against forces encouraging indentured servitude for the masses through ever increasing debt. Obama made his first seeming blunder chosing narrow minded culture warrior Rick Warren for his inaguration, but he may have scored a political plus in doing so. At least Warren has some positives (either fake or real) in his resume. Obama will have enormous problems to contend with (and we have to allow him a few blunders) but we should begin see by the middle of 2009 whether his campaign rhetoric matches his ability to solve problems and lead the country. I have faith in him. Thanks for an excellent article.

[Brittanicus]

With massive unemployment their should be a moratorium on ALL IMMIGRATION, until this nation become solvent again. How can we stick more taxes on hurting citizens and resident, as at the same time giving free government handouts to illegal aliens?

Just like California and other Sanctuary States that are illegal alien refuge, If their politicians fail to recognize the costs of health, education and other state government benefits, untold numbers will pour into their communities. As more and more states enact rigid employer sanction laws, they are going to pour into any state that will financially sustain their families. More and more county police departments throughout the United States, are being trained under the 247(g) federal enforcement act to arrest and detain people who cannot prove their immigration status.

With $47.billion budget deficit, California's governor begged along with others for a financial bailout, because of the billions of dollars involved in state welfare programs. According to the Tucson Border patrol Union, the number of illegal aliens squatting here is 37 million--not 13 million the liberal press, likes you to think. All taxpayers who are concerned with political corruption, radical open border entities, imported terrorism, gang growth, sham laws, immigrant slavery, illegal immigration, sanctuary states and cities, taxpayer costs and the special interest lobbyists should join the growing ranks of www.judicialwatch.org/ This legal watch dog group uses the power of the courts, to fight back against the propagating corruption in our society. THEIR FIGHT IS YOUR FIGHT!

[MajorKong]

I thought the GOP's border fence was keeping everybody out. You mean it isn't working?

[66rock]

Thank you and you forgot all that mindless crap on TV includes mainly the "reality shows".

Congrats on the twins and Happy New Year to all.

[DASChicago]

Mr. Yellen; If I could kiss you for every word written in this AWESOME piece, I would, and NOT get tired!
Cheers to you and your loved ones...Wishes for best 2009 New Year you never had.

[brooklyncitizen]

Congratulations on the new grandkids!

Great post. Great list. Here's hoping we have a great year.