The American dream based on unrelenting consumption fueled by technological progress and economic growth must eventually die. The U.S. economy has been untenable in this regard since at least 1980 and may soon be forced to shut down. Even the people who have jobs are scared, and scared people don't shop. And the ones who don't have a job and are scared for sure don't shop. A quarter-century of economic growth has been wiped out worldwide in just a matter of months.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden is worried, and Obama himself refers to the current crisis as "the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime."

Economist Ken Goldstein of the Conference Board predicts that a "collapse," an economic mess of staggering proportion, is awaiting the

president-elect. At the very least, what we have is an economy that is in deep trouble with no easy, quick, or painless way out.

Making matters worse: a government "by and for" the American people may not be prepared for the social dislocation, economic despair and breakdown in law and order that is likely to ensue.

The recently released November unemployment rate of 6.5% isn't totally accurate because it doesn't count those people who are no longer in the labor force, in other words, the under-employed, the marginally employed, the part time job seekers and those who are discouraged and no longer even looking for work. The McKinsey Global Institute estimates the de facto unemployment rate in the United States is 16.25%. Thus, there are 25 million, not 10.1 million Americans who are no longer working or looking for work, and that figure is before the pending collapse even gathers steam. As a byproduct, the big three automakers have been placed on the road to nowhere thanks to decisions made in 1973 [1].

Since there is not enough police, National Guard or military to keep order when 25 million people panic, Barack Obama will restore order by telling his followers standing in the lines that stretch around schools and churches that this nation, unlike in the past, will put its hands on "the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day."

As a president elected in a landslide by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Obama will lead the nation out of its unsustainable American Dream and into a great new depression. There will be chaos, perhaps, but not anarchy.

Even with evidence to the contrary, Americans believe government is supposed to take care of them because "it's their job." In an environment of homelessness, poverty and suffering, Americans will forget their 60 years of unprecedented prosperity-at the expense of the Third World and the environment, and as propagated by the CIA--and look for someone to blame.

But they won't find a Bush, Clinton or even a Ronald Reagan in Washington. Instead, sitting in the Oval Office will be Barack Obama, a 21st century Martin Luther King, telling us to return to our homes, cars or tent cities. The newest leader will, in fact, be followed because this time Americans believe their voices were heard. We hope and pray Obama wants to put us back to work, reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that, out of the many, we and the president are one.

Barack Obama, an unknown senator four years ago, is not one of "us." He travels in the same circles as other members of the super-secret Skull & Bones society of Yale University who pretend to be running for president every four years. The decision to make Obama

Commander-in-Chief of the collapse was made four years ago; the November election was a formality [2].

To believe otherwise is to ignore the Bradley/Palin effect, the voting machines that flipped ballots before the voter left the booth, and the decision by John McCain to wait until his concession speech to shed the image of a nasty "grumpy old man."

In September, when the Obama campaign seemed to be slumping and their candidate's long-standing lead in the polls had evaporated, the senator's supporters openly worried that a potential victory might be slipping away. Then providence joined the campaign: the failure of the giant investment bank Lehman Brothers followed by a global financial meltdown.

"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," on Nov. 4, 2008 you received your answer: It did not matter who you voted for because it was already written: Barack Obama would be the President of the United States by a landslide.

Instead of being the most dangerous man in America, the Candidate for Change and Hope will be the most remarkable leader the world has ever seen--intellectual, oratorical, governmental and a genius who will guide us through the greatest calamity the world has ever seen.

Without Barack Obama, the really inconvenient truth is this: The 600 detention centers built by the Halliburton subsidiary KBR do not have the capacity to hold the 25 million Americans who will be out of work, out of home and out of food.

Will they be out of hope?

December 10, 2008 - Source: OpEdNews (Author's OpEdNews page)

[1] 2008 Debate: "It's the economy, stupid"

[2] Your article Why Joseph Biden will be the Next Vice President of the United States --ranked number one in its column for the day.

Authors Bio: Robert Singer is a retired information technology professional and an environmental activist living in southern California. In 1995 he and his cousin Adam D. Singer founded IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc., where he served as chief technology officer. Today the company manages more than 130 practice groups, providing care in some 300 medical facilities in 18 states. Prior to that he was president of Useful Software, a developer and publisher of business and consumer software for the personal computing Industry.