Mr. Brooks 'n Me

My wife has often suggested, after reading David Brooks' column in the New York Times, that there is a synaptic circuit - a telemetric loop that runs between Brooks' mind and mine.  In his column today, 'Let's Get Fundamental' (www.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/opinion/04brooks.html) he argues, citing David Goldhill's piece in The Atlantic (see 'Let the Numbers Speak' post, below) and a research report from the Brookings Institute, that it is time, as I suggested (see 'RIP-Teddy' post, below), to go for it - all out reform - to swing for the fences.

Brooks is more eloquent than I and has just a few million more readers.  I hope he gets his message across before it's too late.  I hope he gets his hour with Obama to offer guidance before next week's address to Congress.  (I'm relatively certain I won't.)  I hope we actually do accomplish reform rather than, as Brooks warns, just "essentially cement the present system in place."  But, maybe I hope too much.  And, maybe Obama is all hoped-out.

As Brooks, I, and the Brookings Institute study agree: the problem is fixable.  The resources are there.  The financial imperative couldn't be more obvious.  The outstanding question: do we have the will?