Wow! What a speech! This is actually the first time to my recollection that a Western leader has come to Turkey and expressed interest and appreciation for Turkish culture and history as well as current issues. If people had doubts about Obama’s diplomatic endeavours, he has already done a whole lot more than ‘W’ did in his 8 years…

Yep, usually the Europeans come, strut about in their Louis 14th gait, look down and talk down, get wined, dined and then leave… Nor have I ever heard one of these other leaders live up to the shortcomings of their own nation – that takes real strength and courage to do. Nope, the others adorn their bejeweled cloak of ideals, and then are blinded by them.

Obama has shown us what global politics truly looks like. What a contrast to the tired old refrain of Sarkozy for example, “That the Turks are so culturally different… European Union … blah, blah, blah.” Well… Duh, Sarkozy, every culture except your own will be different than yours!

Obama has shown that in today’s globalising world, the tired old refrains from the past do not lead anywhere constructive. But is it fair to compare say Obama and Sarkozy – one a statesman, the other coasting along by virtue of the existing institutions – but without any deep insight into multi-culturalism, and the political challenges that globalisation is bringing. Probably not.

Obama is in a completely different league of politician and statesman.

He’s finally here – President Obama arrived in the UK early this am – making it to number 10 Downing street for breakfast with ‘Gordy’ – along with a bunch of other officials. So I guess it was not a very private affair of wives & hubbies…

Ooops! Shevckenko just put in one for the Ukraine: it is 1-1 now…

OK, coming back to the matter at hand, I got a cup of green maté tea – tastes a lot like the Japanese Matcha variety – but a little more of a bitter taste.

Yes, we have really copped it – this time around. 8 years of ‘W’ has put us in for it – looks like it will be a tough ride for a while. Finance is essentially a scheme for transferring future wealth into the present. But the bastard Madoff’s & CEOs of the world, acting like, good ole’ fashioned dictators, found a way to scam us out of our future wealth – which they themselves have appropriated in the form of healthy bonuses. The irony of it is that, now we are forced to engage in public borrowing – which again means that we, or our children, will have to pay for it for years to come. The croooked bankers and CEOs ought to be jailed really…

So will Obama, ‘Gordy’, and the remainder of the pack find a way to eliminate the corporate and public corruption and lack of good governance that got us into this mess? I hope so.

Beckham! to Gerrard to Terry and it is… 2-1 England. I ll leave it at that!