Hopes and fears for the New Year

The New Year approaches with a mixture of hope and trepidation. The last 12 months have seen violence abound across the globe. There have been the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, then at home the far right led riots against migrants in the summer months. It must be hoped that peace and reconciliation can be brought to all these situations. At present, the main beneficiaries of the international conflicts are the arms trade. Then there is the growing devastation being caused across the world by climate change. It is difficult to believe there are some people still in denial about what is happening. They take refuge in ignorance and believe crucial decisions can be put off to another day. The longer the world waits, failing to seriously address the problems, the worse things will become. More and more resources will have to be devoted to tackling the problem, with mass forced migrations resulting from homelands being made uninhabitable. It is, though, not all bad news on climate change, measures are being taken to address cause and effects. It is just the slowness of these actions. It is an emergency that merits rapid action. The natural world is not about to wait for human beings to catch up. There have been political changes in the last year, with the Labour Party elected in the UK and Donald Trump returning as president in the US. The Labour government has done some positive things since taking office last July but is not communicating well with the electorate. It is not putting out a narrative as to where it wants to go and how it intends to get there. Simply repeating the word change isn't t going to cut it. There is a good story to tell, the government needs to communicate it. A second Trump presidency fills many with trepidation. The divisive rhetoric and threats of the campaign trail promise to make the world a more dangerous place. Democracy itself seems on the line. On a more optimistic note, President Trump has never been a fan of war, so the prospects for America playing a positive role in bringing some of the bloody conflicts mentioned earlier to an end maybe brighter. What the Democrats in the US and Labour here need to learn is that if they want to retain office, inequality needs to be addressed. America has a successful economy, with 3% growth rates - a level that can only be dreamed of in the UK. Yet, that wealth creation has not flowed to the mass of people. Instead, the relatively few have once again benefited. Only when greater sustainable growth flows to the mass of people and they feel their lives are better will those responsible be rewarded. So entering the New Year, there are hopes and fears. Let's hope things improve on all levels for the mass of humanity and that we draw back from the abyss of destruction. A more unified, less divisive world pulling together for the common good of all has to be the way forward. Have a happy and peaceful New Year.