Annus Mirabilis -- 2008

History is on the march in seven league boots. Long back when I used that term my English professor said "Aravindan, not many even know that phrase". Everybody in US and to some extent in the larger world were focusing on how history will be made on Nov 4th 2008. Will America elect a woman or an Afro-American. Hillary mounted a fantastic bid for the presidency. One might have divergent views on why she failed, how she failed, whether she was a victim etc but none can disagree she made history. Come Nov 4th America will make history without fail, we will elect either an Afro-American President or a woman V.P. The latter is decidedly less symbolic than the former only because the merits of a V.P. "election" are debatable, they just ride the coat-tails of a Presidential candidate. They can help and hurt a Presidential candidate. Sarah Palin has so far helped but all concede that McCain will have to do much more to win.

However the real history that is being made is on another front. America is practically recasting its economic world with far reaching consequences and more impact than any President can ever impact the history of the country. This will reshape American lives for decades to come. Every economic aspect of how we live, car loans, insurances, home loans, credit cards, how we are rated etc etc all will undergo radical change. Many changes will be for the good. Nobody, yet knows where and how these changes will lead. But it is all happening right now and right before us. We are witnessing history in the making.

George Bush, currently the most vilified and most unpopular President ever, has had an impact on American history for decades to come. Again, I am not going into the merits of the impact.

2008 will truly qualify to be called Annus Mirabilis.