2009 will bring many changes. The United States, and the world, are getting into the swing of the new millennium, which promises to be a time of technological innovation, social and economic advancement, reformation of old cultural heritage, and the unleashing of the competitive forces of globalization.
The world has, much like in the spirit of the past century, accepted American political leadership as the moral model. The manner in which the new executive, legislative, and judicial administrations conduct themselves, however, will largely determine whether this trend continues into the future. During this time of economic crisis, the world will be watching America very closely. Will we be able to maintain the economic superiority that we have enjoyed in the past? Will America continue to dominate entrepreneurship and technical innovation in an increasingly competitive, non-hierarchical world?
This is a crucial period in our history because the world has two options: accept or reject the American example of governance, guaranteeing personal and economic freedoms and minimizing the scope of government. These vested values have largely endured the test of time, withstanding: fascist, communist, and now, terrorist foes.
Somewhere along the line, however, when we began adopting ideas from our political adversaries under the presumption of security, be it physical or economical, the chemistry of our country has changed. Even within the confines of constitutional law, the scale of government in our lives is completely different than what our founding fathers intended. Politicians, who can stay in power too long and too easily, dictate all aspects of our economic, social, and professional lives in ways most of us don’t even realize.
It’s always easier to point out a problem than to propose a solution. While I look at the world through my own lens, and declare that it would be a better place if only we could eliminate inefficient central planning, someone else may come to the opposite conclusion despite the fact that we are looking at the same picture. As a writer, it is my goal to sway popular opinion, but as an editor I seek to censor the ideas of none; the only caveat being that they are logically defensible, intellectually honest, and minimally offensive.
Only time will tell the total effects of President Barack Obama’s decisions, actions, and policies. As president, he will be receiving, filtering, and choosing to act on information from many different sources and he will be getting advice from many places and people with conflicting interests. While I may disagree with most of the decisions he will make, I can appreciate the enormity of the task laid out before him and the lofty expectations of his supporters.
My goal this scholastic semester and new year is to challenge the president’s conceptions about the effectiveness of government planning and spending, encourage the return of competitive free markets to produce economic growth, question the effectiveness of maintaining a large military overseas, and convince readers that the economic recession will not be improved by further government intervention.
I invite all readers and writers, in turn, to challenge my own beliefs by penning letters and articles to share your own ideas, which are as important as my own. Whether you agree with me, or another author, we would love to hear from you. If you disagree, it is even more important that we hear from you.
After all, what is the point of having an opinion if you don’t share it with the masses?
