Speed of Change

For many years I have held the notion that change is a good thing - that without change, life stagnates, that life fails. Obama's mantra of change obviously would resonate with that notion - if I thought for a second he actually meant change in the same way that life changes - grows, matures, evolves. He doesn't. He means that he is going to change what works into something that is more defensible to the elites of Europe. That is not a throw-away snark. Many in Europe - and here in our academic circles believe that 'socialism' style economic and political policies can work provided three things: everyone buys into the change - even if that means forcing those that disagree to adhere; smart enough people are in charge - the right kind of smart; and there is a willingness to spend any amount necessary, from anyone and everyone necessary, to provide the means to establish the necessary changes.

They are wrong. But evidence and facts are insufficient to prove they are wrong. Argue that every attempt at socialism has failed and one of the above 3 items will be used to explain why it failed - but never, at any time, will proponents admit the fundamental flaw with socialism - the need will always exceed the ability.

It would be easy to say that uneducated people will buy into the socialism concept because they are the ones most likely to benefit (they are not), but it more commonly appears among the educated - those that should know better. Maybe they do, maybe they think that the first step, getting everyone to buy into the concept is the most important step. To succeed, they need a majority of voters to give them the chance - Obama asked for that chance, and a majority have said ok.

It is doomed to failure. I know it. Most of the people (all three of us) that read this know it. Most conservatives know it. Not in a general, belief way of knowledge - but in the cold, hard knowledge that comes with viewing the killing fields, the mass graves or the daily news from Venezuela.

Which brings me to today. 45 days after his inauguration, the number of areas where the failures of this President are becoming obvious to even the deaf and blind has reached the point that I have to ask - how much longer can this go on?

Obama and his Secretary of State are proving to the world that the United States will not longer be a superpower. We are going to unilaterally show to friend and foe alike that change has come and a kinder, gentler, pussy whipped, emasculated foreign policy will be laid at the world's feet on bended knee. Someone is going to, in Joe Biden's words "test Obama". The response - clearly from the last 45 days - is going to be painfully obvious to everyone, wrong.

Obama and his Treasury Secretary are acting as if the economy were an economic lesson. Most of you will not understand, so let me explain. When academic economists talk about policy changes and macro-economic behavior, they will begin their discussion such: "If you enact this change, and all other factors remain the same, THIS happens." As an intellectual, academic exercise, it is interesting to note how changes introduced to a system can effect results. You can take a model of our economy and introduce change to one variable at a time and see and tweak the results til you get the situation you are seeking. Unfortunately the real, messy, shifting world does not work like an economic model. Every policy proclamation is reviewed, analyzed and acted upon by millions of economic actors. All the other variables DO CHANGE. Often quickly, sometimes, instantly. So we have a President and a Treasury Secretary promoting economic changes in isolation. This policy will have this result; that policy will have that result. And neither has an impact on 'unrelated' matters. This is why 'the market's up and down gyrations' are not of concern - they are unrelated to the policy pronouncements. It is an academic blindness and it is destroying wealth daily.

To those of us grounded in the real world, we look upon the actions of this Administration and wonder - can they be this stupid? They can't, can they? They don't REALLY want to destroy the country, they can't REALLY think that their plans will work. Obama really, truly believes that his policies will work. I believe that. I believe that he has surrounded himself - loosely and inefficiently - with people that believe his plans and policies are GOOD for the country AND the planet.

They are wrong. Freedom is messy and economic choices and behaviors do not stand idly by as 'variables' are tweaked. But here is where I am starting to get worried. 45 days. In 45 days Obama has done more damage than just about anyone could imagine (I figured he could and would do it, just that it would take most of this year to do so - wrong).

Virtually every action Obama has taken, directly with his words and policies, and indirectly by his Cabinet members actions in their arenas, has made everything worse that it should have been.

I know this - I lived this one afternoon at the radar scope of an Air Force GCA when I screwed up with 6 flights - every action, taken by itself, was correct, legal and responsible. Taken as a whole, I put 14 crews in deadly danger. It was my last day as an Air Traffic Controller.

In 45 days, Obama has set a course of events into motion that is dangerous beyond his, or his advisors, understanding. 45 days. He has over 1400 days still to go. 1400 days. Can ANYONE imagine 1400 more days like the 45 we just had? Can anyone imagine where we will be in 100 days? This is the question that plagued me today - how much longer can we continue AND what happens when what is painfully obvious to many of happens - a crisis where the President, and ONLY the President, can and must act.

President Obama campaigned on a promise of change. The speed at which he is trying to implement his change is dangerously out of control, and he doesn't, or can't, see it. Where we go, and how long it is going to take us to get there, is happening faster than most of us could imagine. Speed kills, and our Country is in danger.