I believe the shoe toss marks a tipping point for Bush's future. The whole world knows he's a common criminal, and once he's out of office he will face charges in numerous countries. Of course, he wasn't exactly a world traveler before he was appointed president, but he probably won't leave the country for fear of indictment.

It is likely that the tossing of shoes will be a common occurrence in Bush's travels around the country. People know who allowed the negligence that led to our economic meltdown. They also know who looked the other way when warned of imminent attacks. And, of course, the negligence before and after Hurricane Katrina.

If the economy goes into complete meltdown, it is a good prospect that Bush will finally face the justice our ruling structure is protecting him from.

One thing we can do in the meantime is let the sponsors of the networks know that we will not buy their products. They need all the money they can get, and should be sensitive to pressure.

Whatever the result, what has been sown will be reaped one way or another. The best thing we can do is use Bush and his gang as an example. Any of us could slip into criminality in our own lives.

On the functional, day-to-day level, permanent blindness will make the perpetrator's life very different. He will have his entire waking consciousness as a reminder of what he did. Money wouldn't have this effect. It might actually result in rehabilitation.

As far as his "love," serenading, ala Cyrano de Bergerac might have worked better. Obsession is what is really going on. You don't dump a bucket of acid on someone you love.

"Iran" may be sensitive to its image in the world, but a little comparison might be helpful. We have a president who was an omnicriminal before he became a candidate for the nation's highest office. Both his victories were the result of fraud, both as a candidate and in the counting of votes. His negligence in the face of warnings of immanent terror attacks enabled the September 11, 2001 nightmare. His lying fooled the country into going along with the invasion and occupation of "Iraq." His approval of kidnapping, torture, murder, false imprisonment, and spying on ordinary citizens has ruined our reputation in the world. His authorization of spying on ordinary citizens marks him as a voyeur and man without scruple. His conversion of the Justice Department into a gang of political hacks has weakened our system of justice. His negligence before and after Hurricane Katrina both enabled the damage and made the suffering worse.

I may have left a few things out, but these are enough crimes to make George W. Bush one of the great world criminals in human history. Will he spend a day in prison for his many crimes? Not likely. In "America," the elite protects itself. If Bush were to be brought to justice, the elite power structure would be threatened. A criminal class, the elite would collapse once the floodgates are open to justice for all.

Barack Obama may be a lot smarter than any of us have imagined. He knows he has one top priority: restoring our economic system. It the economy goes into depression (which I believe is likely), social unrest will become widespread, and chaos could result. Given the level of bigotry and other forms of mental imbalance in this country, which can be grouped into the crude label of "right wing," Obama's life could be in serious danger.

I think Obama is smart enough to know that he has to defuse his critics if he wants to have a successful presidency. He likely understands that what we call "right wing" is a combination of criminality, pathological religious fervor, and a posturing and parasitic punditocracy that fuels the flames of hatred.

It may be that Obama is preempting the wave of criticism and threats that will come his way in times of crisis. If he can establish himself as the president of all the people, then he is more likely to unite the country behind his programs. As a side benefit, the industry of hate-mongering media can have the rug pulled out from under it, draining the swamp, so to speak.

As far as some of his cabinet appointments, I wouldn't be too concerned. Obama is in complete control, because he can fire any of them if they stray from his vision for the country. Hillary Clinton, in particular, is in a weak position. If she were to follow her own course as Secretary of State, and get fired for her efforts, she would be without a government office, and her political career would be greatly diminished, if not over. I actually think Hillary will be a great Secretary of State, and if anthing will be an enhancement to Obama's presidency.

It may have been a stroke of brilliance to name Ken Salazar to be Secretary of the Interior. If Salazar actually does behave like a Bush appointee, and finds himself out of a job, he will have nothing to fall back on. A better "Democrat" will likely have his Senate seat, and he will be left out in the cold.

In this context, the most powerful person in the Obama cabinet is Steven Chu, the incoming Energy Secretary. We will not survive as a species unless we reverse the effects of carbon dioxide pollution. If Obama turns out to be just another politician, and his various appointees enact policies and practices that are detrimental to the planet, Chu might just up and quit. It will be a supreme embarrassment for Obama to have a Nobel Prize winner in such a critical realm resign.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. If so, we're cooked, literally. Obama may not like it, but he has little choice but to be the best president we have ever had. That being the case, the scenario I have laid out is the true one.