i think the biggest structural problem the us faces is transforming the military-related patronage system away from cold war logic. the united states now spends more on military procurement than the next 20 countries combined.
this goes to comparative data for 2006:
World Military Spending ? Global Issues
this has to change.
i don't see obama doing it.
a radically different type of "globalizing capitalism" needs to be put into place---if we're going to accept the present configuration as given, it seems insane not to develop comprehensive programs that would seed the development of new forms of activity within the states--the republican "get a job at mcdonalds" plan is a farce, and always has been. 70% of american gdp is based on consumer spending. that seems crazy to me. i think obama is talking about initiatives that will in some ways address this general problem, but they need to go further and be rationally co-ordinated. another dimension: the american labor market has changed but in the main the educational system continues to reproduce an outmoded profile. and there's no obvious way to redirect the educational system. if that's the case, it puts more pressure on the need for some kind of systematic re-seeding of production in the states.
i do not think the question of "free trade" is a coherent single matter, nor do i think "protectionism" is a single coherent step to mitigate the effects of it. basically, you cannot think about this if you abstract the united states from the capitalist system that it has been instrumental in fostering since the 1980s. if you factor in the southern hemisphere, "free trade" means american domination. period. a different type of overarching organization is probably going to result from the present mutations in the space of capital flows. i think that the united states should advocate a more equitable and sustainable form of globalizing capitalism while it's still in a position to advocate anything. this is vague, but i think this will be among the biggest problems with the highest stakes that obama will face. i take some solace in thinking him intelligent and curious about the world. if mc-cain is elected, in my view the united states is fucked.