These are hard times and it will get worse. I'm an optimist, though, and think American resilience, resourcefulness and spunk will pull the country and the rest of the world through. Obama has the luxury of being able in a crisis to do things that would not normally be possible in the economy. It will involve sacrifice---there's no other way out---and technology isn't the answer because it can't rewrite the laws of supply and demand and rewire the human character. Leadership, a cool hand inspiring others to work with America will do the trick.
As for the drain of those wars, Iraq is winding down and I think Obama, taking advice from his commanders, will break his promise of an Afghanistan surge. He'll do what we're doing, getting out in 2011 after 10 years of combat and training the Afghan Army to look after the country's security. There's no way to turn a theocracy into a democracy from the outside. Your able defence minister Mr. Gates has emphasized limiting the depths of US military involvement in a country that has ground down foreign armies for centuries.
I want Brian home in one piece.
