Our 44th president—a man who has been accused on many occasions of being way too even-keeled—has stated that we need to reinvent our entire society. Then he added that we’ve only got 20 years in which to do it. History fans might read Obama’s words and recall Dwight D. Eisenhower’s final remarks upon leaving office—specifically Eisenhower’s warning that the swelling postwar defense budget meant that the United States risked becoming a “military-industrial complex.” Those proved to be some sage words. It could be argued that a president leaving office is perhaps our best informed citizen, and that his or her warnings merit substantial consideration. 9