President elect of the United States of America

A new President

A new beginning

Maybe or just more of the same?

Time will tell

One thing is for sure though times are not the same

Whether you are American, Russian or Chinese times are not the same

Our planet has had enough of human abuse and nature is kicking right back

This is also being felt in America so let's hope that the new President has enough courage to invite Americans to consider other values

Wait a minute how can he?

America has a consumption based economy which is not designed for other ways of behaving

Buy more, eat more, consume more, spend more are American mantras

America has been very successful in exporting this model to the point where the global economy is more and more integrated with these American values of ever more consumption

Whatever we might think about it the US is the current world superpower

If planet earth were not showing distinct signs of becoming tired of this human abuse one might say let's just carry on as before

This is not possible because nature is showing signs of change everywhere on the planet

Not one country has escaped the so called "unseasonal weather" so beloved of weather people the world over

This weather is not necessarily caused by man all though for sure we have helped to provoke what we are now our experiencing

And all this is without mentioning the current world economic crisis and advancing recession

Consequently what happens in America does impact all of us wherever we live

Can the new President initiate more thoughtful ways of running America and giving a lead to the rest of us?

Not if he goes back to the old ways he can't

And what might he start doing differently?

For a start the idea that human life is only about consumption could be usefully examined

The idea that life is a one off accident is also another that could be usefully reviewed

While he cannot change things overnight he does have the best pulpit on the planet to start a dialogue about what we are all here for

And just because he takes over at such a difficult time makes this is an excellent moment to consider some of our fundamental values and beliefs

If we do not start this soon we are headed for ever more tense and uncertain times

Will he examine the world economic structure and start the move to consider alternatives?

Will he initiate steps to move to kinder fairer values?

Does he really care or worse still is he even aware of where we are headed?

Thought for the day

Did the Romans see their end coming?

Did the Mayan people?

Did the Chaldeans?

Did any civilisation see the end coming?

Did they talk about what they should do?

Who knows but there is no reason why we should not start belatedly to consider what are we doing to ourselves and the planet

And that can only usefully start once we figure out why we are here and what life is all about

Being President of the United States is a major achievement in itself

However he will be remembered for what he does with this office

Fingers crossed that he gets "the vision thing"