Financial Crisis

So, we've elected a new president, but there's still that pesky 800 lb gorilla to deal with. The "Financial Crisis" (cue dramatic music). Our last (and, unfortunately, current) president has built a legacy of "fixer-upers." A failed war in the middle east (it's failed in that we're out a lot of money and still haven't achieved victory), failed foreign policy on nearly all fronts, failed domestic policy, sky-high unemployment, "astronomical" deficits (both national- and annual-budget-) and now a stock market and overall economy melting like the proverbial wicked witch. Regardless of whether the "best man" won this year's election (or whether either of them has/had the ability to be "one of the greats") or not, the real star of the show is the economy.

Even if Barack Obama can fix it, he still has to deal with a war on two fronts, one of which we never should have started. Of course, we all want the war in Iraq to end, yet the "band-aid" approach (pull out quick) will likely end us in a worse situation than the one we started in. Of course, finding a practical solution to Iraq won't be the end of the repairs.

After the financial crisis and Iraq war, our health care system is in dire need of reform. Socializing health care may make Americans happy (I'd be happy), but it may also come at a price. Thomas Jefferson said "a government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take away everything you have." So, government health coverage may help us out, but it also puts another aspect of our lives in the government's hands. The problem? What happens if the government decides to take it away? Or hold it hostage? If that's our only way to get health care, we may be willing to make sacrifices we normally wouldn't to keep it. This will be a tricky issue...

Social security? Medicare? What's going to happen to us when we get old? Are they both broken, or do we just want to fix them both.

Immigration? This one's an easy fix, though no one seems to be acknowledging it. MAKE EVERYONE (more or less) LEGAL! Seriously, we don't seem to have very effective methods for keeping them out, so they'll be here anyways. If they're "legal," we can document them (get a good count), tax them (quit complaining about them living off the system for free) and increase the punishments for being here illegal, since it's so easy to get in. This would increase ta revenue, help us monitor who's coming in and keep the Latin American community happy. Problem solved.

All of these things barely scratch the surface in regards to the problems the current administration has created, and all of it needs to be repaired before Barack Obama can even begin making this country "better." Good lord, what have we let our government do to us?

PS-We have a crap load of debt that needs to be paid off before we can call our economy and security "fixed." So much for "fiscal conservatism."