The Right Guy

Sometimes it’s hard not to believe in Providence. Tonight I watched the 60 Minutes interview with Ben Bernanke and came away feeling that we are simply blessed to have him. While most people have suffered some measure of pain in this downturn, I believe most people have very little idea of the magnitude of the disaster that we likely averted because we have Ben. And then it occurred to me that this is the second big disaster in the last twelve months that was averted because we had just the right person at just the right place at just the right time.

On January 15, Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia and hit a flock of birds, knocking both engines out. At the controls was Chesley Sullenberger, a pilot with over 40 years of flying experience, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, a safety instructor, a glider and accident investigator. He has had a pilot’s license since the age of 14. With no other viable options available to him, “Sully” landed his Airbus A320 safely on the Hudson, saving the lives of all on board. In retrospect, “Sully” had been training his entire professional career for just this event. The term “perfect storm” has become a cliché, but Sullenberger was a “perfect storm” of training and expertise to face just that moment. There are 155 people are alive today because this one person had spent his entire life training to face a critical challenge.

After watching Ben Bernanke this evening, I felt the same way. We are facing unprecedented challenges in the financial markets and in the economy. Not since the 1930’s have we looked financial catastrophe so closely in the eye. We were very close to a complete and total economic shutdown last fall. Again, as with Flight 1549, it was as if God had chosen the right person to be at the right position when this all occurred. Bernanke has a brilliant mind, an easy demeanor, and a personality that exudes genuineness. He is one of the nation’s leading scholars on the Great Depression. While Alan Greenspan had a reputation of being imperiousness and often purposely used the language of obfuscation, Bernanke gives the impression of being more humble and open.

After watching the interview with Bernanke, I realize that there are times in history when it is hard not to see Providence at work. The human misery of the Great Depression was incalculable. It was a global catastrophe that led to disruption of millions of lives and it permitted the rise of fascism that killed millions. With Ben Bernanke at the controls at the Fed, he is determined not to allow the kind of policy mistakes that allowed that downturn to spin out of control. Similarly, with another pilot at the controls of Flight 1549, 155 families would likely still be in mourning.

Two amazing men trained for a lifetime for one crucial moment in history.