Change the world in a day

YES folks it's that time of the year again, the time to make those (largely impossible to keep) New Years Resolutions.

I remember as a young girl asking my grandmother what her resolution was to be that year.

The wise simplicity of her answer was lost on me, until the penny finally dropped many years later and I realised how cleverly realistic her pledge to 'try to be just a little better every day' was. Imagine how much better our world would be if we all tried to be just a little better every day in 2009.

It occurred to me as I sat ruminating on my own resolutions, that there was one man on this planet who probably had a long, long list of new year's resolutions. As I pondered the difference between my own mundane ones (lose weight, exercise more, fill up with petrol without waiting until the car grinds to a halt on the highway), and those of President-elect Barak Obama, who will soon have the power to make decisions that can affect the lives of all of us in one way or another.

Where does he start? I felt dizzy just thinking about it so I decided to challenge some of my friends and colleagues.

What three things would they do if they were President of the United States of America for a day?

Sonali Thadani, membership director, Capital Club Bahrain

I can think of only two right now:

* I'd resolve to take a deep breath and count to ten before invading a country.

* I'd resolve to speak in complete sentences ... you know ... with subjects and verbs and everything.

Dr Phillipe Mouillot, French Arabian School of Management and Finance

OK, if I was the president of the USA for one day, I would:

* Do my best to make the weapon lobby disappear to avoid having 3 guns in each family, with kids who think that killing people is a national sport. No more guns in the public and in homes, just for professionals.

* Use all my diplomatic power to make the bloody Vatican finally open the doors of its secret library to the public and then reveal the secrets of the world (even if this makes Christianity stumble and fall). Because I can't believe that in 2009, the universal knowledge is still held and controlled by a nano minority.

*Raise funds so that every American child could once in his/her school years travel to Muslim countries, and realise that peace is possible. I can't believe some people are still racists in 2009 and I think it's only a problem of education.

Robert Ainey, chief executive, Bahrain Bankers Association

My three New Year's resolutions if I were Barak:

* "Don't sweat the small stuff"

That's what your staff are for and if they can't handle it without running to you, get rid of them.

Keep your eye clearly focused on your vision - where America will be in four to eight years' time under your stewardship.

Ignore the tin-pot dictators and rabble-rousers - Hillary can handle them - and forge a Grand Alliance once again that saved free men and women twice in this century.

* "Have fun"

As the Borgia Pope, Alexander VI, said, "Now that we have the Papacy, let us enjoy it".

But seriously, in these hard times it's important that the president be positive with a smile on his face and a kind word for all. FDR became President in even worse economic times and took on the might of Hitler's Germany after Great Britain's lone, heroic stand against him, but you never saw a picture of FDR without a gleam in his eye - even as he struggled with the leg-braces that enveloped his paralysed legs.

* "Make your own bed"

It was the common, working-class people who elevated you to this high office and never forget it. Main street, not Wall street, put you in the White House. When you get up in the morning make your own bed to remind yourself of your humble origins and of those who gave you their trust. I do it, every day.

Brigadier Dr Tariq Hameed FRCS, director of Royal Medical Unit, Bahrain Defence Forces Hospital

* I shall abrogate the constitution in favour of monarchy and declare myself the king of USA.

* Impose a ban on US Military adventurism, recall all forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea and other countries. Make sure that US forces could only take part in peace keeping missions.

* I shall implement social reforms by a royal decree to abolish all taxes on salaried employees both in state and civil sectors and provide free medical care, free education and free housing to people without houses.

And then we can all live happily ever after both inside and outside the USA.

David Ryan, Risk Management International

My three uppermost (sanctimonious) resolutions for 2009 would be:

* I would stop the United States from trying to continue as the world's policeman and thus ease international political, security and religious tensions.

l I would arrest each and every despotic ruler starting with that arch criminal Robert Mugabe and quickly followed by the military leaders of Myanmar (Burma) and every other leader who has denied the basics of decent and democratic livelihood for his or her people.

* I would jail every single thieving banker who played any part in the current economic crisis and bar them for ever from working in the financial services sector.

They may seem negative at first but they will deliver positive results for humanity.

Mike McKinley, executive director, Private Equity Ithmaar Bank BSC

My three wishes are as follows:

* Assume leadership for the USA economy and put growth back on the national agenda

* Adapt a better approach to building enduring relationships with some countries that are not in favour such as Iran

* Lead the USA to a more energy efficient and environmentally attractive tomorrow by agreeing to hard objectives, and in so doing set a good example for the rest of the world.

Could be a wonderful opportunity to change the world for the better!

Alex Stokle

If I were the president of the USA, my three New Year resolutions would be as follows.

* Seeing as petrol has been obsolete now for around 50 years, it is simply down to greed that world leaders persist on refining oil for it. I would strive to encourage the use of the many other alternative fuels that we have discovered.

Just to name a couple: Hydrogen can be used to power cars. Manufacturers such as Honda and BMW have created prototypes which are more than powerful enough and can be run on water!

Lithium battery technology can be used to run cars as we can now manufacture lighter, longer-lasting batteries which can be charged from a plug socket.

Fossil fuels need not be used either. I would start with my own country and encourage others to follow; an international grid. I would set up turbines and solar panels wherever there is unoccupied/barren land that is mostly sunny or windy etc and have it all feed back to a power grid. The Australian desert, for example, could accommodate a huge number of solar panels and wind turbines could be installed in Siberia, as well as harnessing energy from waves. If all countries come together, this could be done and an end put to global warming ... and oil-related wars.

* I would try and stop the greed and corruption of the pharmaceutical giants. Medical care should not cost so much and I believe there are far more cures that haven't been announced because if we were cured, we would not need the 'in-between' drugs.

I would also most definitely press ahead with stem cell research. I don't think there is anything morally wrong with it. I believe proven, science-based facts that seem to work should be encouraged to help people.

*I would bring back apprenticeships! What better way to be educated than to go straight into the career you want as an apprentice (provided you have at least half a brain), have the company train you and pay for anything you may need on paper and at the end of the training you have all the experience necessary as well. You are also free of any student loan you had to take out for university, after which usually no one will take you in the field you want to enter because you lack experience.

... oh and free beer!

My advice to Mr Obama would be to remember the immortal words of Booker T Washington, who rose from the humblest origins of being born a slave on a plantation to a black woman and white father. He became one of America's greatest educators and an inspirational speaker. His quotations are many, but this is the one that I would urge Mr Obama to heed... "The greatness of a nation in the future will be measured not by the vessels that it floats, but by the number of schools, churches and useful industries that it keeps in existence.

"It will be measured not by the number of men killed, but by the number of men saved and lifted up."

If you start to see that you are taking yourself and life too seriously, then remind yourself of this quote from Rubyfruit Jungle author, the redoubtable Rita Mae Brown: "The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four people is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you."

I wish you all a joyful, peaceful, healthy and successful year.