The View from Up Here

[justinsb]

Just in case anyone cares.

I am an American who moved to Canada. I am far more interested in what's going on here than what's going on there but the U.S.'s role in the world affects everyone.

The reality of this Presidential election is that it's a different job than it used to be. The job of the next US president will be largely one of damage control and managing diminished expectations.

The US has effectively lost it's role as a super power. It is still a large piece of the overall global economy but the US military does not inspire the fear it once did and the US economy is no longer THE global economy. With China and India emerging as large global economies, the EU growing in power and several latin American economies growing it is no longer true that being shut out of the American market is the same as going out of business.

As I see it the US must make huge investments in education, public health and safety, the environment and infrastructure but it's unclear where all of this money will come from. Going forward the US will have to focus more on sustainable development, many will have to get used to a 'new normal' in terms of standard of living.

The US needs a president who can rally people, who can convince them of uncomfortable truths, and ask them to make willing sacrafices - not so the US can return to super power status, but so the US can be as domestically strong as possible once that status has fully passed to others - in other words to avoid widespread poverty, civil unrest, etc.,

I personally feel the best candidates for the job are already out of the race and that of those that are left Senator Obama is the only one left who might improve the situation. IMO both Senators McCain and Clinton would govern as if the US was still a super power and as if nothing was seriously wrong with the overall political/economic situation of the US and would, as a result, make matters worse and even harder for the next president who is elected.

[Vincardog]

1. AGreed HRC and McCain are bot steps in the wrong direction

[undeterred]

2. I think the monstrous arrogance of the US has been

its downfall. During the Bush administration I became aware of just how unresponsive the government is to the people. I lost my job in 2001 and I emailed every single congressperson and every member of the senate about extending unemployment benefits. Only 3 Senators outside my own state responded to me and none of them are still in Congress now. I was not eligible for any kind of assistance or medical care. The unemployment benefit extension came too late- I only got 3 weeks.

I remember being on message boards and getting sympathy from people in Australia, Canada, and the UK - other English speaking countries which all have the safety net that our country does not.

Strangely enough, a lot of people still believe that we have a superior health care system... if you say, but we have 47 million uninsured, they will chime in, but in Canada you have to wait. The answer to this, of course is- if you have no insurance you can die waiting. People do not believe what is right in front of their eyes.

The overemphasis on military strength has bankrupted the country. At least the Progressive Democrats know this, but the idiot Republicans keep campaigning by stirring up fear.