Obamamania

Barack Obama is hours away from being sworn in as President of the USA: few presidents can have entered office with so much expectation.

It's partly the achievement of the man - you know, the way that he's come from humble beginnings, mobilised millions of regular Americans to support his campaign, beat dead cert Hilary to win the Democratic leadership contest, and then wiped McCain to become the first black president of the world's most powerful economy.

It's the oratory and the elegance with which he has conducted himself as he's walked the road to the White House.

The world is impressed.

The expectation is mixed with relief: Dubya is finally going.

But what of the future? The U.S. and the world is in such a mess.

The US and by extension the global economy is seizing up, and banks failing left, right and centre. Oil wars rage. Human rights have been trampled.

At the same time, catastrophic climate change looks ever more likely after years of inaction (Jim Hansen, NASA climate scientist says radical action needs to be taken to prevent widespread coastal flooding by the end of Obama's first term).

Is the President listening? And can he really fix things?

It's going to take a massive sea change in the way things are done. Vision. Churchillian leadership. A new mentality and a new era.

I hope that he shocks and awes.