Under President Barack Obama
It is 2010. President Barack Obama has formed a coalition with our (once again) allies to put pressure on Iran to belly up to the diplomacy bar. Joe Biden and Bill Clinton are dispatched to speak with world leaders who respect them. A worldwide coalition has formed to combat the root causes of terrorism and shore up failing states.
Bipartisan government programs, pushed through by a Democratic majority in both houses, are instituted to forestall foreclosures while forcing corporate responsibility. Wall Street and Main Street (slowly) recover. The homeless, rather than being beaten up by unattended teens, are ushered into community programs, as are unattended teens.
President Obama, who still owns only one car and one house of his own, tells the American people how they are expected to sacrifice, where they must lower their expectations to pay off the eleven plus trillion dollar debt left by the last administration, and where and when they can expect things to improve.
After several missteps that require American intervention, Iraq uses its eighty billion dollar surplus to shore up its own security.
A transfer of troops from Iraq to Afghanistan leads to the focus on one war supported by Americans, with shared cost by NATO and allies, rather than two overstretched wars -- one of which is our majority responsibility.
U.S. Military recruitment goes up. Everyone plants a victory garden (which leads to less salmonella from imported vegetables -- side benefit).
Dick Cheney is extradited from Dubai (okay, that's a stretch).
Hillary Clinton becomes Senate Majority Leader (not a stretch).
Green jobs lead to renewed employment, a strengthening U.S. and worldwide economy, and a lessening of dependence on foreign oil. The price of oil falls.
The governments of Russia and Iran, dependent on high oil prices for their influence, lose influence.
The climate tipping point, while likely too late to be averted, is mediated by a competent government response to the ongoing, albeit (sometime in the future) lessening, natural disasters.
Taxes fall for the middle-class; go up for the wealthy and corporations-- but the wealthy and corporations, who make their money off the middle-class, are wealthier and can afford it.
The cost of health care for both business and individuals is within reach and reason.
Teachers are given the tools and support needed to effectively teach.
Students trade public service for education.
G.I.'s come home to support and gratitude.
Sound far-fetched? Perhaps.
But what if it's not?
