As the family and I sat at the dinner table last night, ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was on in the background. Listening to the coverage of the unveiling of President-elect Obama’s economic team and discussion over the potential size of his “jolting” stimulus package, it struck me what a daunting set of challenges await the young President come January 20th.

With each new day, news of record housing foreclosures, rising unemployment, failing economic institutions, skyrocketing budget deficits, community-devastating plant closures, chaotic stock markets and once unfathomable governmental bailouts add to the increasingly pessimistic outlook of millions of Americans.

Two stories this week surrounding our military and self interest driven politicians clearly illustrate the problems our military leaders are forced to deal with. I'm sure you're familiar with the Air Force tanker issue which was supposedly won by European company EADS. Do you know the entire story though?

The wedding of terrorist and nuclear weapons is now the greatest threat to the United States, security. The U.S. tried to deter terrorists from gaining access to nuclear weapons through Pakistan. The results however of investigations into Pakistani nuclear black market and nuclear proliferation network demonstrates in stark terms the devastating consequences of nuclear proliferation by Al-Qaeda and Taliban who may now have access to state-controlled nuclear weapons according to an American/Pakistani who said, “I read it in a Pakistan newspaper during a recent visit to that country”.

You say you want to help the Palestinians, but most of them still struggle in poverty. How are you helping anyone?
Having been born into a privileged life, you use your wealth toward death, destruction, division, and sorrow.
Here is an old saying for you to ponder: "Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime." How are you helping the people of the Middle East, learn how to help themselves, with your millions of dollars?

When is a “disagreement” not really one? When the AP claims [via QandO]Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki wants U.S. troops out of Iraq faster than Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker [emphasis mine]:

Few Americans know as much about the history of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda within Afghanistan and Pakistan as Steve Coll.  A few years ago Coll won a Pulitzer Prize for his book Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001.

The war on terrorism is over. America has surrendered. I’m not trying to be witty or alarmist. Just stating the facts. Like Vietnam, Somalia, Korea, and so many of the wars over the past 50 years, America surrendered before the job was finished. It’s merely a matter of time.