Its been often noted that the times in which we live are fraught with problems and perils. The nature and pace of change is unlike any period in human history. If we make a brief list of the major changes that are currently in play we can clearly see that it must have a profound impact on mankind’s view of himself and the world around him. As Americans we are at the epicenter of all these currents so we take the brunt of their impact.
·The communication revolution -- more people interconnected all the time
·Information revolution – a continuous stream of news and information from all over the world, 24/7
·Globalization of economic activity – outsourcing, shift from manufacturing to service employment
·Government shortcomings – The seeming inability of government to resolve problems and/or becoming part of the problem
·Health care impact – Advances cost money. Health care insurance coverage will soon only be available to those with above average income.
·Energy impact – Continued and growing dependence on unreliable energy suppliers
·Shrinking social safety net – anxiety over retirement issues, increasing poverty, stagnating incomes, etc,
·Iraq war
·Terrorism
To name some of the more prominent. There certainly have been more dangerous times but none when so many profound issues were in play at the same time. As is the case during any period of upheaval, people attempt to resist the seemingly uncontrollable pace or to mitigate those changes by which they feel most threatened. They turn inward by seeking answers in religion (God can change it), government (they can change it) or in self reliance (I can change it). Self reliance is defined as the broader private sector: NGO, Corporations, individuals wealthy or otherwise. God can’t be relined upon to get involved…witness the wars, famines and pestilence throughout history. Self-reliance does not have sufficient gravitas to effectively impact these issues. Still in the recent past .the pendulum has swung in the direction of God and self-reliance. Shrinking government simply makes the problems worse. Trying to compromise between government activism and self-reliance doesn’t work. ..you get the senior drug prescription programs. .Realistically many of these issues can’t be impacted. They have a momentum independent of any individual, organization or god. Those that can, can only be handled by an effective and engaged government. There are no other options.

People have begun to recognize these flow of events. The pendulum is set to swing in the direction of an engaged and effective government. Arguments supporting the God/self-reliant position had been found to be insufficient and often counter productive. What is needed is a leader to talk to the American people about these issues above all calm their fears and provide realistic portraits of what outcomes we can reasonably expect and provide reasoned inclusive responses where appropriate. Change and the insecurity it brings are unavoidable. We need a leader who does just that. Disregarding party and ideological precepts, he looks to the future and, in conjunction with the citizenry, maps a course that is the best for America.