Advice for President Obama on Keep the Flame Alive

Max's advice for February 17, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions, that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, President Obama.

Mr. President, you have a special position where what you do and how you do it can affect millions of people across the planet. You are one of a handful of leaders who are entrusted with protecting the concept of democracy. This is the democratic (with a small "d") idea.

As the inevitable results of a hundred years of population growth, uncontrolled by the normal natural limits, the world is approaching a time of great peril.

The first things to go in times of peril are usually the freedoms that make controlling for whatever peril we face. Democracy is always a complicated way of getting anything done. The more democratic we become, the more viewpoints get to enter the mix.

It is impossible to vote on everything, that is why American Democracy places all the power of acting on the law in a single person. The way we select that person is the democratic component. The person has a choice; they can foster democracy during their term or they can squash it like a bug. Many Presidents have chosen to squash it. Fortunately none have totally destroyed it and we have had free elections (if you ignore the Supreme Court's interference) during most of our history.

During the next four years, there will be many places around the world where democracy is trying to raise its head. Sometimes it does so for a time. At other times it is mercilessly crushed.

There are things you can do to encourage and reward nations that allow democracy to grow and flourish. There are also things you will be able to do that will punish those that try to damage democracy.

The most important thing you can do is to get your message in front of the people of the world. The United States does not have to sit quietly while the world destroys its children. Your voice and that of your representatives need to be heard frequently and repeatedly in as many world venues as it can be.

You ran a campaign to win the Presidency of one country with only five percent of the people of this planet. Think about how cool it would be if, when you retire from this little job, you chose to go on to a bigger job that involves the whole planet.

The kids are going to be older and you and your wife are going to be far too young to retire. Democracy, like the environment, will need a champion by that time more than ever. There are several possible positions that no ex-president has ever held, such as heading up the United Nations, President of the IMF, President of the World Bank, or some other organization that deals specifically with finding ways to grow democracy in a world where crisis is the norm.

It may be too early for you to think about your future. You may just want to put this in the back of your mind for four or eight years in the future. Just having the thought may help you notice the things that need to happen to keep freedom alive in a secure world.

Max wishes you well in all your decisions.

Max writes about greenways, rare diseases, timely topics, places to eat, travel and other issues of interest. He encourages you to add your comments.

Link one is one view of world democracy.

Link two is a listing of world population to the day.

Link three is Bread for the World's 2009 report on hunger.