Change is here! During the past weeks, on several counts, the world has been experiencing this reality!
After a phase of darkness, primarily caused by dictators and autocrats, fascists and fundamentalists, fanatics and feudalists, megalomaniacs and manipulators, profiteers and bloodsuckers, there is suddenly the warm and welcome glow of a new dawn. A Change! Something different, something new! The long, painful and relentless struggle of millions all over the world seems to be beginning to pay rich dividends. The Change is here!
Serbia perhaps set the tone for this change, which is snowballing across the world. For more than fourteen years, Aleksandar Vučić, the populist and nationalist strongman, ruled the country with an iron fist, first as Prime Minister and then as President. Corruption was rampant, and dissent was suppressed. The collapse of a canopy at a railway station in 2024 triggered an anti-corruption movement and widespread protests. Finally, early parliamentary elections were held on October 25, 2026. Students and young people put together what they called the ‘Student List’ of people with impeccable records, who were willing to contribute to the country's future. They won an absolute majority, defeating the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which had been in power since 2012.
Then came Brazil! Trump and the US regime, along with big corporations, were determined to defeat incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Despite the odds, Lula pulled off an electoral comeback in the October 25, 2026, runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. Lula's victory, his fourth term as President, marked the first time since Brazil's return to civilian rule in 1985 that a candidate won the presidency after losing the first round. Lula's victory signaled that Change is here!
On October 27, Israel went to the polls. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had waged a devastating war on the people of Palestine/Gaza, killing thousands. The election was therefore seen as a referendum on his policies of hate, violence and war. The results produced a political deadlock, with neither Netanyahu's right-wing bloc nor the opposition securing the 61 seats needed to form a government. Interestingly, the Arab bloc secured nineteen seats. On November 8, President Isaac Herzog tasked Netanyahu's rival, Gadi Eisenkot, with forming the next government. Some change indeed!
On November 3, it was Election Day in the United States. Americans voted for members of Congress and the Senate, governors, mayors and state bodies. Donald Trump, his Republican Party and their crony capitalist friends spared no effort to ensure victory. Though Trump has two more years as President, the elections were seen as a referendum on his policies, particularly his war against Iran. The results were a clear repudiation of his policies, including his support for Israel, economic decisions that benefited the wealthy, and racist policies towards immigrants and minorities. Young America came out in large numbers, giving new hope to those seeking change.
Over to India! The change here is palpable! Millions have taken to the streets in a people's pro-democracy movement against the Chief Election Commissioner and SIR. Corruption and communalism have also gripped the nation. On November 1, thousands gathered at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi for a protest rally organized by the I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Gen Z is responding strongly, leaving its comfort zones and taking a stand against what is happening in the country. They are providing new hope and impetus to all, including opposition political parties. The people are angry and united in their demand for change. India is certainly experiencing a change!
There is much more, big and small, happening everywhere! India and the rest of the world are fed up with hate and violence, conflicts and wars. People want change, and they are committed to being the change they want to see!
Bob Dylan's immortal, historic pro-peace, anti-war song of 1963 is more relevant than ever today:
How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail, before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly before they are forever banned?
Yes, and how many years can some people exist before they are allowed to be free?
Yes, and how many ears must one man have, before he can hear people cry?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind.
The winds of change are blowing today! Change is here!
