Hopes for the New Year

It is now the eighth day of 2016, and one could readily argue that it is starting off to be no better than 2015 so far.  Between the Chinese economy crashing, the Dow Jones diving precipitously, Muslims walking around Paris with suicide-bomber jackets and knives, and the Saudis and Iranians ready to bomb each others' embassies, it's been a fun week.

But it's Friday, and the first full week of 2016 will soon be over and things can only go up from here, isn't that right?

I'd like to believe that.  I certainly hope it will improve, and since hope may be an abysmal strategy but it's all I've got, here are my hopes for the remaining 358 days we have left this cycle around the  sun.

My hope for Barack Obama: Golf, lots of golf. Actually, that's my hope for myself, at least some.  I hope that for me because, well, I like golf.  I hope that for Barack Obama because, much as a criminal can do little harm to society while in prison, Barack Obama can do less harm to the USA when he's swinging his mashie niblick rather than abusing his pen, his phone and the Constitution.

My hope for domestic terrorism: As I wrote many months ago, I hope that the most influential Muslim in the USA, Muhammad Ali, will rise from his home and start making a series of speeches throughout the country.  He will begin by reaffirming his faith, and then loudly and repeatedly condemning ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Iranian government, and every single person who uses Islam as an excuse to torture, kill or otherwise wreak havoc on believers and non-believers alike.  I hope that he shames every Muslim in the USA into becoming an advocate for peaceful coexistence with his neighbors of other faiths.

My hope for the economy: Hold out; please hold out.  The cavalry is coming, in the form of the exit of the most contemptible socialist to hold an executive position in the American Government (see Hope #1) from the White House, and the ascent to the presidency of someone who has an actual understanding of macroeconomics.  No sooner will that person be elected, than a flood of capital will begin to flow around the USA economy, as banks begin to lend -- actually -- to small businesses, companies flush with cash crank up their capacity, and the real unemployment figures start improving in the form of a higher -- much higher -- labor participation rate.  Buoyed by a heating economy, the stock market will revive from whatever is done to it in 2016 and our 401(k)s will provide actual retirement support.

My hope for the election: I hope for a president, a leader, an actual president and actual commander-in-chief.  I hope for someone who will inspire our people, show friendship to our friends abroad, and inspire respect and fear in our enemies overseas.  I hope for someone with the strength of their convictions and the public presence to be able to do two things necessary of a president -- communicate their aims to the American people, and get Congress to act to pass the legislation needed to address what needs to improve in the lives of the people.

My hope for the Middle East:  I hope for a leader to rise somewhere out there, someone who presents a view of the future of the region in which peace is an actual factor.  I hope for someone who can point out that Sunnis and Shiites should model their relationship after the way Baptists and Catholics coexist in the USA -- i.e., without taking up arms against each other except on the football field.  Someone, I hope, will rise up to say that murdering people in cold blood for the perceived sin of believing in the same God but in a different way makes no sense, but going to the other's house of worship to show brotherhood makes a lot of sense.

My hope for the world's climate:  Warm up.  Even a little.  When palm trees can grow on Cape Cod, you have to know that it will be a better world.  I'm sitting here freezing here in January while Barack Obama is trying to turn on the air conditioning full blast.  He will fail, and that is so, so a good thing.  In fact, everywhere he fails is so, so a good thing.

My hope for Hillary Clinton:  I hope that her prison cell is comfortable.

Copyright 2016 by Robert Sutton
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