This is the Best Case Scenario.
Pretty damned high. Here are the details.
Just how high is the bar of expectancy held for Barack Obama?
But the devil is really in the details of today's headlines:
- Bailout Lacks Oversight Despite Billions Pledged Watchdog Panel Is Empty; Report Is Unfinished.
- Triple whammy hits US carmakers: the world's number one car manufacturer is moving ever closer to bankruptcy.
- Iraqi soldier frags U.S. troops in Baghdad, killing two and wounding six.
- In Baghdad alone, 58 people have been killed by bombs this week, police say. U.S. military officials dispute the casualty figures and say the attacks don't mean insurgents are staging a comeback.
- Baghdad - Hungary, Bulgaria and South Korea will each withdraw their troops from Iraq by the end of 2008.
- The war President-elect Barack Obama is inheriting in Afghanistan includes an insurgency that's stronger than ever.
- With U.S. deaths at an all-time high in Afghanistan and attacks against Westerners on the rise, Gen. David Petraeus arrives in Kabul.
- US aid worker and 19 others killed, dozens wounded in attack on U.S. convoy in Afghan market.
- PESHAWAR: Gunmen shot and killed an American aid worker and his driver in one of Peshawar’s high security zones.
- Pakistan says US missile strikes violate international law
- US air strike wiped out Afghan wedding party, inquiry finds
- Poll: More than two thirds of people in Britain believe that UK troops should leave Afghanistan within a year.
Personally, I'm all set for disappointment. I've always argued for impeachment; failing that, for undoing all that Bush has done, sort of a reset button on the 21st century. That's the improbable scenario, isn't it? From this perspective, the election of Barack Obama has never been the solution for me, but a grand, satisfying and enjoyable consolation.
The Afghanistan conflict is going to be the biggest news of the next several years I am afraid. It is true that the insurgency has grown much stronger because Dubya and the gang took their eyes of that particular ball to play in Iraq. That little bit of idiocy is going to prove even more costly than it already has. As a result I don't expect any reduction in deficits or any increase in spending except for the most important programs, services, and etc. Why in the world taxes are being cut in the face of this burden is beyond me. Obama truly has his work cut out for him.
ReplyDeleteYep, Vig -- I'm afraid that you're right again: Much is expected of 44th POTUS indeed...that said, I agree with MadMike -- simply not realistic to believe that the incredible mess can be treshed out in one sitting, i.e., in 4 years.
ReplyDeleteI think that if Pres-elect Obama hits the ground running on Jan 20, the world, and more importantly, the Americans, will be patient.
Problem here is how patient will MSM be? They might prove a pain in the a°° once the honeymoon with Obama is over!
My previous post at my site was on people expecting to much of Obama with the huge mess Bush left him. Right now I'll be happy if we get out of Iraq responsibly, get the economy back on a sound footing, and start rebuilding some of our crumbling infrastructure. My worries is that our enemies feel we are wounded right now and will take this time to strike. It would be a mistake on their part but it will make everything harder.
ReplyDeleteAfghanistan can be fought much cheaper than Iraq, and Iraq is ready to partition. Not saying this will go smoothly, just that we really can get out of Iraq and lower the burn rate.
ReplyDeleteThe real problem, probably, will be Pakistan. It's the only place in the world where al Qaeda (vs. Hezbollah or the Muslim Brotherhood) has a vast support base. The best outcome is peace, of course, but the hard one is a war between it and India.
"Chimpy Sent Off to Combat" would also be a wonderful headline.
ReplyDeleteISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has indefinitely blocked travel for convoys, carrying food and military supplies to US troops in Afghanistan, through the key Kyber mountain pass.
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