Going Global

I think there is something very wrong with the hype surrounding Barack Obama and his forthcoming inauguration. The whole thing seems to me more fitting to a totalitarian dictatorship than a great democracy, more like a monarch’s coronation or a Roman general’s triumph than a swearing-in ceremony for an elected president.

Take the cost of the event for starters: $160 million (ten or eleven times what it cost to inaugurate Clinton and Bush). Hardly what taxpayers fork over their hard-earned cash for, is it? And then consider that there will be 40,000 security personnel at the inauguration – more than the number of troops the US has serving in Afghanistan. The outgoing President has even declared a ‘state of emergency’ in DC. Kathryn Muratore got it right on LewRockwell.com when she said:

Welcome to the inauguration of the "leader of the free world." You may only enter the city through these designated roads and transit systems. You will only have access to the inauguration after passing through a security checkpoint, where you will be treated with suspicion. There will be thousands of armed men surrounding you at the ceremony and parade. But, hey, that's the price of freedom!

Tom Bowman for adamsmith.org

My sentiments largely echoed. I do not really think Obama is going to make any significant change except to change whatever inefficiencies that exist the US's existing methods in the pursiut of global economic dominance. I think a more comprehensive change is needed in the system itself to put the world in a brighter path for the future. Otherwise we'll just end up in a worse position than we are now in another 70 years or so. (assuming we'll get out of this one without any major wars/disasters) I'll be very surprised for instance, if he turns out to be another Andrew Jackson. Fingers crossed though. I've blogged about this guy way too much already.