aren't the immediate concern to me - and I say that as someone who has been a harsh critic of recent policy. This election was indeed a Manichean "good future vs bad future" choice - but not in terms of policy itself: in terms of its coherent philosophical basis and execution.

Because - at least to me - it doesn't start with *winding up with policies you can live with*. It starts with *winding up with processes you can live with*.

The immediate concerns to me are the dismantling of the parallel, non-accountable systems of government that have been set up; the tackling of corruption, of the covert channeling of funding and influence that have created such incoherent churn, and of the drive to create "alternative" or "innovative" solutions to complex problems that are really not "out of the box" thinking at all, but are in fact little more than forced "quick-fixes" like some adolescent's series of "get rich quick" schemes.

These have given the outside world an overwhelming impression of American policy vis the rest of the planet being little more than the shadows of a domestic squabble projected far larger than life upon the blinds of an apartment. It has rendered American policy irrational, unpredictable and chaotic - and thus fundamentally extremely frightening.

Perhaps the "land of policy milk and honey" isn't in the cards right now. But what *is* going to happen - what is already beginning to happen - is an increased focus on competence, integrity and rationality.

I have some measure of confidence in human rationality and competence, and I will definitely take that as a "win" over the alternatives.