Having recently visited the US it is interesting to consider if there will be real changes in how the US operates along with the change in government.

Not everybody wanted Obama to win. So now we have the some people, mainly the centre and conservatives, feeling disenfranchised. and regrouping for next time, as indicated by these stickers on the right.

And on the other side we have the liberals or progressives hopeful for change as exemplified in the video below.

Also we have Obama faced with the greatest number of crises and threats to the US on multiple fronts since the the 1929 Depression & Second World War. For example, we have the:

• economic crisis,
• environmental crisis,
• increased instability in the middle east and India-Pakistan,
• increased terrorist threats,
• breakdown in infrastructure in the US,
• social fragility in the US,
• etc.

That is a mammoth list of issues for anyone. And it includes important domestic and foreign issues to manage. I suspect that Obama will need to govern from the centre to maintain legitimacy across the diverse groups for whom he must govern. But he will also need to find a way to work differently with the rest of the world. The US government cannot afford to just invade anyone of whom they disapprove any longer.

How he handles all of this is critical for the US and for the rest of us. One thing is certain, the old and well tried approaches might not be useful in these times.

Can Obama lead towards a real change?