January 14.   Amos, an amateur political scientist spoke up, “Looking at the political situation in many countries today can be quite frightening.  What do people really want? What do their voting patterns show?    Do they want to be ruled by a president, king or chief who spends their money on cars and entertainment while people suffer?   Do they want a political party that seems to be out only to enrich themselves?    Do the bigger environmental issues like climate change and pollution matter to them, or to us for that matter?” Becoming an eco-friendly family:    How can you avoid polluting the environment today?    

The elders of Israel gathered and came to Samuel and said to him. “Appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.” This displeased Samuel.  He said, “these will be the ways of the king.  He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots, to plough and harvest his crops. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks.  He will take the best of your fields and give them to his servants. 1 Samuel 6.  Pope Francis.  The problem is that we lack leadership capable of striking out on new paths and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all and without prejudice towards coming generations.  The establishment of a legal framework which can set out clear boundaries and ensure the protection of ecosystems has become indispensable. LS3  Politics must pay greater attention to foreseeing new conflicts and addressing the causes which can lead to them. But powerful financial interests prove most resistant to this effort and political planning tends to lack breadth and vision.   LS 57