Gloom and Doom or Hope ...

Where is this world going ... ???

Reading "Inhertiance" by David Sanger is incredible experience. I suppose it is one of the best accounts about the global political, economical and security situation ever written. It is motivated by the drastic change in American policies expected with Obama presidency, by the dreadful facts about Iran nuclear program, Pakistan instability, North Korea convulsive attempts to drag world attention to them and their pigmy leader, terrorism and China's military programs.

The part of the book is about Bush and his misjudgments, but ultimately this is the book about the world as it is at the beginning of 2009. It shows how important are threats that we even 3-4 years ago did not even think of - like that of cyber-terrorism, or the real ability to smuggle atomic weapons to any peaceful country....

I'm sure that we mere mortals do not even think or feel how fragile is the world.

Lest we forget it - it will makes our daily steps a bit more careful and thoughtful....

Added a day after: The actuality and accuracy of the book is clearly seen and heard in the recent Obama's Strasburg speach:

He said something that plays well with my title: "At the crossroads where we stand today, this shared history gives us hope - but it must not give us rest" ...

Inheritance - admonition or realism ....

For some time now I will switch to reading non-fiction... Not because I do not like it any more, but because I will love to return to it :-)

My first non-fiction attempt is very political and timely. It is David Sanger's "Inheritance - The World Obama Confronts and the Challenges to American Power". The main thought behind the title of the book seems to be an assertion that Obama inherited unimaginable problems from Bush. And it IS convincing.

I just started, so it is not a review yet - but I already can tell two things: that the book is written in a very exciting and good-to-read language and ... that it is scary to read it....

I just finished the chapter about Iranian atomic program - not only there is certainty that they are on the path to the bomb, but there are not too many options the world, US, and Obama have - to stop them from that deadly path. Unfortunately, some of the reasons for this inability are due to mistakes Bush's administration made in handling Iraq, terrorism etc ....

Terribly true. I must however, admit something. For many years I was a very strong supporter for Bush. My eyes opened not very long time ago. So I do not blame him or people who supported him. As far as I understand myself, I understand them - and him. We are just mere mortals and we stray so often ...

Post written during a 15 minutes break in my lecture about Project Management in a small town Blonie near Warsaw, Poland ....

The enduring power of ideals

It's unusual to write about political events on such blog.
But this event, event of November 4th, 2008 is unprecedented.

Let's keep in our memories two fragments from his speech, words that say more about America, than hundreds of some other opinions:

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

and

"Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope."

G-d bless Obama, G-d bless America...

Now, as a kind of PostScriptum, Obama speach in my mother's tongue...