HAZARD SPEAKS HIS MIND ON THE ELECTION

The following was emailed to me from the Hazard From Harvard (yes, the one in the Springsteen song) because he lost his login information to our blog (he will find it soon, I hope). I figured I'd blog it under my account while he searches... Suzi

As one who used to catch hell from some classmates at Neptune High (NJ) for expressing sympathy for the civil rights movement, I understand with perfect clarity the euphoria unleashed by Obama's election... but I have grave doubts about his commitment to truly changing our present condition.

I say this based on:

1. His recent speech----given even before his first official meeting with the incumbent---advising us to lower our expectations of what is possible, given the magnitude of the economic mess he's inheriting. there will be plenty of money to "rescue" floundering corporations, and plenty more for "the troops" (meaning to continue the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as operations across the borders of Syria, Pakistan etc.) but spending for cleaning up the environment, providing quality education, health care and housing for all---spending our money for our common good, in other words---will have to wait.

2. His appointments, especially of Rahm Emanuel (hard-line Zionist and rumored Mossad asset) and John Podesta (lobbyist for General Dynamics and other major corporate players) as Chief of Staff and head of the transition team respectively, do not bode well for real change, coming as they do from the inner circle of the Clinton administration, and former Chair of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker has been short-listed for Secretary of the Treasury, which reassured Wall Street--- but it should scare the bejeesus out of the rest of us.

It's important that people's expectations have been raised, because people who have no expectations are inert; but people who expect things to get better will act as if things will indeed get better--- which sometimes helps to actually make things better.

And, people who expect things to get better, only to see their expectations thwarted at every turn, will somtimes revolt.

We truly live in interesting times.

THE HAZARD FROM HARVARD