The Dream Team
I came across this interesting piece over at ForiegnPolicy.com that offers ten different takes on a Dream Team for the next president’s cabinet. It was fun to see the varied choices that were offered up. I never thought I would find myself this engaged in picking a team of politicians, like assembling an All-Star baseball team. I guess it’s a reflection of the times we’re in. Of all the categories, the one that I find myself thinking about the most is the Treasury Secretary.
Nothing against Steve Forbes or David Lipton, but I think this will come down to Warren Buffett or James K. Galbraith, assuming that Bloomberg gets signed on for a 3rd term as Mayor of New York City, which he most likely will. The two men represent completely opposite sides of the financial world.
One is a wizard of the markets who amassed enough assets to be considered the richest man in the world. The other is a respected economist who lives on a modest professor’s salary. Both have the capacity to overhaul the creaking infrastructure of the country’s financial system and take it in a (much-needed) new direction.
Given how important and scrutinized this position is going to be in the coming years, this is a going to be a very important decision. Here are two links, both videos from October, to help get a better idea of their ideologies: Galbraith on Bill Moyers | Buffett on Charlie Rose
Hopefully the next president can convince both men will to contribute in some capacity, and things can really get shuffled around. Perhaps Galbraith would better be suited to the SEC chairman, and Buffett to the Federal Reserve. Whatever happens, I feel it’s vitally important to the future solvency of our great country that we do away wih every last one of the financial buffoons that hold positions in the Bush Cabinet.
