1. Put GW Bush and his War Criminal Gang into jail.

(Despite the ethical 'rightness' of this action, it will unfortunately only divide the USA permanently and prevent the real work ahead from being addressed. Therefore, instead, declare a blanket 'de facto pardon' of GW Bush and Gang, but give them all a 'de jure sentence' of at least one year at Guantanamo under the harhest conditions to which they had subjected innocent prisoners there at that small corner of hell on earth. Put life-size images or statues of GW Bush, Dick Cheney and others in the War Criminal Gang - and subject those images to water-boarding and other such gifts of love).

2. Create an effective to-do list covering all dimensions of a civil society (in the US and in the world: economics; wages; law; how people work and live; resources; energy; global warming; fair distribution of opportunity; effective eduction; (and so on and so forth)... It's important to seek and use the ideas of people around the world, so that they will truly collaborate with you. Do not tolerate uncivil behaviour of people in power anywhere around the world, regardless of their ideology: insist that all must follow the laws of a civil society. At the same time, it is only the people within a nation that can bring real change (as you have just seen in the USA).

Then get US citizens to work together to achieve those to-do things the very best way possible - for the US and for the world. This will NOT be easy at all to accomplish successfully - but it is possible, I guarantee!! (See below).

The renowned systems scientist, John N. Warfield has devised a whole portfolio of 'systems tools' that can help us effectively debate such complex problems and arrive at truly consensual resolution of contentious issues. Information about Warfield's seminal contributions to systems science is available at http://www.jnwarfield.com, and at the "John N. Warfield Collection" of books, papers and presentations maintained at the library of George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.

A remarkable development based on Warfield's fundamental work, the 'One Page Management System' (OPMS) goes a bit further - enabling any individual or group at almost any level of education (knowing just how to read and write) to choose any complex Mission and to develop an effective Action Plan to accomplish the Mission from available ideas: it so turns out that the Missions most effectively accomplished are those that benefit not only individuals, but all or most stakeholders in the issues under consideration.

The process is intensely iterative, so that wrong or weak ideas can be corrected/ improved over time. More information about the OPMS can be made freely available if you write to me, gs (underscore) chandy (at) yahoo (dot) com.

3. In any case, yesterday was truly one of the best of days for the US and for the world for the past eight years. US citizens can truly be proud, after many, many years, of what they accomplished yesterday, 5th November 2008. CONGRATULATIONS, USA - you guys got it just about right this time around (after getting it all disastrously wrong in 2000 and 2004!!

GSC

Michael Lind's article is provocative - but probably flawed in various ways, as several postings here have pointed out. I'm not expert enough to comment on the ways it may be flawed as a historical thesis/ stands up to rigorous examination. I do have a serious quarrel with the 'continuation link' at the bottom of page one:

Next page: The Third Republic, founded by Franklin Roosevelt, came to a miserable end under the pathetic George W. Bush

GW Bush is NOT pathetic by any means! He is a vicious War Criminal, who is getting away scot-free despite all the crimes he and his Gang have committed! Salon editors would do well to be properly aware of this - even if there is nothing to be done to prevent this War Criminal getting away scot-free.

It's GW Bush's victims that are pathetic - the world, the USA, all of us citizens of this world, the next generations who will follow us...

GSC

JUST FOLLOW YOUR NOSE TO FIND OUT WHERE THE STINK IS REALLY COMING FROM! (If your nose has been so fouled up by all the years of living in 'it', I understand prosthetics are available that may help trace the source of these stinks more accurately.

GSC

Feelin' good now, you bags of smelly sh*t?

GW Bush n Dick Chency n Karl Rove and ....

John McBush n Sarah Palin...

Senator Lindey Graham (who beat Michael Phelps at the Beijing Olympics) n ....

Billy Kristol n Rush Limbaugh n Ann Coulter n David Brooks, n ....

All the trolls at the Salon forums... elephantman, sueann22, dcitti, daughteroftheamericanrevolution, shawnwm, ....

Into history's garbage heap with you for the rest of your miserable lives! The only right place for all of you!

GSC

Things are just about beginning to smell pretty good and healthy now, after eight years of the stink of sick minds and foul hearts and evil souls.

GSC