Wednesday was an uneventful day as the nation went about its business of cleaning up from two brutal natural disasters that had obliterated many of Ameica's largest and most dominate cities. Thursday, March 20, was equally uneventful. Even those thousands of people at O.U.T.R.A.G.E. headquarters were busily engaged in routine activities, but no new events were unfolding; in headier times, media moguls might have referred to it as "slow news days. Across America, people from all walks of life were beginning to contemplate their futures, and the future of their communities.
A City Manager in a small South Dakota town had invited residents into his office to share their thoughts on the cause and effect of current events. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, a regionally-renowned spiritualist and healer held daily "cleansings" where people could come and pray for the country while resolving to make personal commitments to such issues as global warming, the environment, the depletion of the ozone layer, and civilized communication. He urged his guests to reject their materialism and focus on a new-found dimension of "inner wealth" which enriched the spirit and disengaged from the drab, cold world of money, power, status, and influence.
Switzerland was being deluged with inquiries from local government leaders, inquiring about the Swiss government's "common-sense" approach to governing. After centuries of neutrality and relative obscurity, this tiny, beautiful country was beginning to be seen as a role model; without realizing it, the Swiss had written a fabulous "how-to" manual on how to effectively manage a government without intruding on the people who were being governed. While not flawless, the political system seemed to be one that might work well as America's cities, states, and regions began the ardent task of reforming the American way of casuistric government. It was time for America to step back and take a long, hard look at itself in the mirror. There was no cause or justification for such arrogance, greed, selfishness, and blatant braggadocio. America needed to become a nation of less magnitude; with a preponderance of its resources and influence now gone, this was the perfect time for a full-fledged reformation. Perhaps the 'Rebellion of '08' was the second American Revolution that had put all this into perspective and started the wheels rolling toward a better society.