President-elect Obama is inheriting the worse financial crisis perhaps in the history of the United States. There is no way we'll be "better off four years from now than we are today." Nouriel Roubini is predicting certain deflation-led chaos that will plague the world for years on end. Better somewhat like Obama be at the helm during such a period than brutes like Bush/McCain

Now is the time to embrace pessimism as a way of life. Hard for Americans to do, but if we don't, the right-wing fascists will eventually swoop back in to power and be our guides to hell.

Thomas Hardy once wrote about the virtues of being pessimistic. In such a state, you can never be disappointed, and, sometimes events might actually exceed your expectations.

In our current state of despair, we all must assume pessimism as the new way.