Welcome to 2009

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, January 2, 2009

Well, things were not all that great in 2008, and things don’t look too fine for 2009 either. As we fold away the memories of last year and look ahead to the unblemished calendar of next year, we can once again find the best of times and the worst of times.

Last year at this time, we published a column looking back and looking forward. My fellow columnist and I both made a few bold and some not-so-bold predictions. I considered copying and pasting mine here and then analyzing my accuracy as prophet. But, instead, in the consideration of space and time, I decided to just paraphrase last year’s column and spend more time making predictions for this new year.

I started my column with a few personal notes about the births of my two granddaughters and the bittersweet short life of Gracie Ann Cooper. This year, I again celebrate two new grandchildren. God has blessed our family again as Amelia Rose Yook and Eli Wait were born to our two daughters and their proud spouses. So, despite the notable crises that shook our nation and world during the pages of that faded 2008 calendar, I will relish in those memories of seeing new life added to our world.

Now, back to the notable crises…it seems as though each year has its share of trials, but the history books may note 2008 in the same sense of infamy as 1929. The economic meltdown and the subsequent governmental action will affect our future for generations to come just as the Great Depression altered our cultural landscape during the last century.

A new frontier awaits us, now that our government has decided that we taxpayers should bear the burdens of those who make poor business decisions. I lack the wisdom or foresight to accurately predict the final result of this new practice of bailing out every failed industry, but I can prophesy that one result will be a very deep and lasting federal debt. As a grandparent, I am concerned for the future world Eli, Amelia, Meredith and Kyle, Jr will inherit from our generation.

Also of note in 2008 was the Presidential election. Many have proclaimed the historic nature of Obama’s presidency even before he has taken an oath or accomplished anything presidential. While I admit that I did not venture too far out on a limb when I predicted on these pages last year that we would look back on this election and remark about how hotly contested it was, yet without bloodshed or violence, I was right.

I also made a bold prediction that Hilary would lose the election (right again) but I was wrong when I predicted she would divorce Bill (and, I admit that I did not see the Secretary of State nomination coming).

I predicted a new channel dedicated to Britney, Paris, Lindsey etc. and while I still think it is a good idea, I was wrong to predict that the news channels would finally tire of covering celebrities as if they were newsworthy.

I also predicted that the “Old Gray Mare” – AKA The New York Times – would return to printing REAL news. I am sorry to say I was wrong again. I also failed to see the financial struggles she would have this past year as she dealt with lost advertising revenues and declining subscription numbers. Oh well, I hereby relinquish my official “Prophet-of-the-Year” award.

Now, to this next year, I already stated my fears about the new policy of governmental involvement in the economy. I predict here that this year will see more and more bailout pleas coming from the other affected industries of this meltdown. And on a related note, I predict that the global market will undergo broad changes as well. I can see an international monetary board taking control of other industries the way the U.S. Government has taken control of the auto industry. Today’s Car Czar will be tomorrow’s Oil Czar, and an Airline Czar, Housing Czar and Manufacturing Czar will soon follow. But I am afraid that these new czars will not be American and I am sure they will not have our American interests as their highest priority.

I predict the Blagojevich scandal will escalate to include Barack Obama’s aides and I predict an administration marked by scandal and deception like the administration of Bill Clinton, seeing as how most of the principal players from that administration have been appointed to this one.

I will also predict that a severe natural emergency, such as a blizzard, earthquake, hurricane or Nor’easter will further stretch our financial and emotional resources to the point of breaking. I hope I am wrong about this, but I fear that such an event could send us into a period of violence and rioting if aid is not delivered in a timely and effective manner.

To prevent ending this essay on such a negative note, I will also predict that, despite my own misgivings about Obama’s capabilities, and my disapproval of most of his policies, our nation will survive his presidency and True Conservatism will see a revival in the Republican party.