These are the things that will make a difference, no ? They maintain the focus on USian exceptionalism and sustaining greed, no ? The first two, while important, are like changing the dressings on wounds that won’t heal.

End Federal illegal and extralegal activities such as torture and kidnapping.

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The scope of the problem set that he inherits from the outlaw regime prevents a more directed answer, since I can’t imagine what he will address first or how he will address it. I have no illusions regarding his left of center role in maintaining American imperial hegemony, protecting corporations, maintaining the war machine and the industries that supply it — no real hope for his socializing medicine, or recapturing public education from the Christian right.

Energy policy? Currency reform? Public infrastructure maintenance and improvement? Financial services regulation? Elder care? Environmental improvements? How much hope can one have in the face of the forces of greed that have been nurtured since 1981 and now stand against him?