This year started with the second largest econimic crisis that is known to man. The year of 2009 has been characterized by accidents. Minor and major accidents. Accidents which have given the middle man a new viewpoint of our planet. Luckily, no country needed a ''new deal'', like President Franklin Delano Roosevelt did in the 30-ies. I will remember 2009 as a year when the political leaders finally have come to see that our planet is unhealthy, and the treatment of it must start as soon as possible. During the COP15 summit, in December, politicians from all the corners of the globe didn't make a good enough agreement, which you can read more about later in this essay.. 2009 is the last year before the first decade in the 2nd millenium, a year which you'll read about now.

On the 22nd of January, the U.S. Got it's first african-american President, Barack H. Obama, the 44th President of the United States. During his campain, in '08, Obama promised a LOT. He promised that he would stop wars, shut down terrorist camps, fight for the environment etc. He has just done a slight piece of things he promised! In November, he started ''stopping wars'' with sending 30.000 US. Soldiers to Afghanistan. In my opinion this might help, by investing more time in training afghani soldiers, they can start by getting out of the country earlier than planned. President Obama has also requested help from NATO countries, countries which he gained additional 7.500 International soldiers from.

In January, we can also remember the horrible war which was going on in Gaza. Nearly 1.600 people died. 16 of theese were Israeli, the rest was citizens from Palestina. We can remember the two doctors, Mads Gilbert and Erik Fosse. I have read their book; Øyne i Gaza. It was a realy dramatic and exciting book, which described their days as surgeons at the Shifa hospital in Gaza. The book also described how it was to work for Medicines sans Frontieres(Doctors without borders) during this war. Between their surgeries, they rapported to TV-channels worldwide about the situation in Gaza.

Afghanistan had a lot of problems this year. During their election, the sitting President, Hamid Karzai, was a suspect for cheating during the electional process. Therefore the government agreed to arrange a second election, which was ment to be more fair than the first election. The other party candidate(Not from Karzai's party) Mohammed Mohammed, decided to give up. He abandoned the ship before it started up. In 2009 i have also noted that UN's special envoy to Afghanistan, Mr. Kai Eide decided to quit. He quit his job because he was being accused to support President Karzai, something which would break UN's principles. Afghanistan can get out of trouble, but that would have to happen, at last in 5 years, i predict. If they don't solve their problems until then, they will struggle with solving them later.

As usual, a new video from Mr. Usama Bin Ladin came this year. There he discussed global politics, his thoughts about President Obama and much more. The bin Ladin family is one of the richest in the middle east, which meanms that Usama will have no problems getting more and more firearms. In my opinion the attacks against the US. In 2001 were a bit deserved. In 2000, UN estimated that 500.000 iraqi children have been murdered b president George Walker Bush's attacks.

In 2009 poverty was reduced extremely much. Many millions of children have been given vaccines to, and many people volunteered in U-countries. Many children now have acces to clear water and to good,healthy food. Still the issue about poverty isn't solved. Over 1 billion people are still suffering because they are poor. That's not the way it is supposed to be. In 2020, leading scientists estimate the population worlwide to be 9 billion inhabitants! If we don't hurry and solve this issue, even more people wil suffer in 10 years.

I also think that we should give a little ''thumbs up'' for the Governor of the People's bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan. He reminded the world that we can't take the dollar for granted. He criticized the way the U.S. Government ran economics. He became worried when he expected that the U.S debt to Beijing has gone even further than 3 trillion U.S. $. The United States started borrowing money under George W. Bush's presidency. The money went directly to finance two wars. In 2040, experts estimate Chinas economy to be around US. $ 123 trillion. It means that China will go from a poor country in 2000, to a superrich country in 2040. Then the estimated BNP will be 85.000 $ per citizen in 2040.

I've read President Obama's book; Dreams from my father;My African legacy. I was surprised by President Obama's will to make a change. He avoided prestigeous Lawyer jobs, in advantage to work with the poor people of America. A job which gave him an annual salary of 10.000 US.$. While reading this book, i realized that politicians are not as we think they are. They suffer from constant pressure from media, they have to think quick in their heads, they have to be careful that their statement does not fight against international laws or their party's opinions.

During the large climate conference in Copenhagen, tho world's leaders struggled to make a good solution about the environmental problems the world is suffering. At the end the two supreme powers: US. And China didn't agree to a deal which would lower their incomes. They didn't want to cut down 20% of their total production, in effort to make a change, although theese two countries stand for over 40% of the pollution today. At the very end the countries participating made a solution.They didn't make an especially good solution. The solution didn't even involve reducing CO2 emmisions. The world's top leaders agreed to almost forget the Kyoto protocol. Most of the countries who signed the Kyoto-protocol, are struggling to fulfill the points at the protocol. Norway must reduce further 15 percent of their emissions in order to fulfill the protocol. And Norway, with a BNP of 60.000 US.$ per citizen, won't have problems with this. Sweden with a BNP of 40.500 per citizen, doesn't seen to struggle with their economics. They have less money than Norway, but they are more powerful. And most important: Rich countries agreed to pay for mitigation in u-countries.

If a Norwegian citizen heard about the life in the States, i think that she would be shocked. Because very few people live the American dream. In the States you have to pay a lot for your pension saving, you don't have health insurance(Correction: By December you do. Legendary health reform by pres. Barack H. Obama) and if your kids want to go to college, you will have to count on paying from 20 to 70 thousand US. Dollars. Quite shocking , right? In Norway we could never imagine to pay for a surgery, or to pay for a University( Current fee:450 NOK per year at NTNU)

I'm sure that if i mention Iran, most of you will think about their nuclear testing program. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahminejad, states that Iran is not making an Atom bomb, although Satelite images have been showing ramps for imposition of the atomic bomb. Iran also has all the equpment they need to make the bomb, and the suspicion grows even more when Iran refuses to accept an inspector from the UN.

 When it was announced that President Barack Hussein Obama was awarded the Nobel peace prize amard, I jumped out from our sofa, and I hit the roof! I never could imagine that the peace price has lost such dignity.In his speech President Obama told that he didn't deserve this award several times. Last years winner, Marti Ahtisaari, thought he deserved this price very much, so there we have two different cases. When the Nobel comitee told the public that they could demand to take the price back, if President Obama didn't fulfill their expectations.

When president George W. Bush started his ''War on terror'' after the september 11th attacks, the main goal was to eradicate terorism. There has never been more terrorists than in 2009. The same thing is with the somalian pirates. During the summer months, the pirates hijacked several shipping boats, near the coast of Somalia. What do people think about pirates and terrorists? '' People with mental defects''''People who can't face reality''''Rich idiots''''They deserve to be punished''

They haven't been punished? Their children, relatives and friends die, they die because thoose poor soldiers sent down there have to kill them. 99% of terrorists and pirates do what they do because they have to get food and water to their family. They do it because the troopps have killed their spouse's. They do it because of a desperate fight. The resting 1% are powerful people who are leaders, and have mental complexes. It is wrong to judge people from first look. I can ensure you that 99% of theese people are not ''bad guys'', they are just people like you and me ,regular people fighting to survive. Do you know what the BNP in theese two countries is? It is around 300 US.$ per citizen. In Norway the BNP is 200 times bigger.

Theese days, I have realized that running politicsis a weird affair. When a well known professor at the University of Oslo was asked how Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg could regain his popularity, he answered:'' He should print a calendar with focus on Minister of foreign affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre. He should send theese calendars to Norway's women''. I also realized that you have to have a life story, if you want to be a top politician. For instance, B. Obama was broke. In U-countries, most of the leaders come from wealthy families. While in the west, people usually want a person to look down at. A person from a middle-class, or lower family. The only country where this isn't normal, are the United States. Thanks to his father's extremely powerful friends,George W. Bush became President( And thanks to his brother, an Ohio state senator.)

Here is a short summary of the year 2009:

In 2009 some nations have done exceptional work, to solve the earth's fever. More nations can join.

The Us. Got its first african-american President, Barack H. Obama. The world still has problems, but they can be solved with international cooperation, and cooperation overseas. 489 soldiers died in Afghanistan, this is the highest number ever, a sign that the US. must get out of there, something Pres. Obama is planning at the end of 2010.