So much is happening in the world today that it is often difficult to focus on one particular event, without a feeling of being overwhelmed by reams of information moving at dizzying speed.

The world economy is in a major downturn, causing countries around the world to scramble for economic survival. Millions of Africans face starvation and disease. Global terrorism is a matter of grave concern.

In our little Bermuda, we need to be careful about what we do in trying to keep our backyard in order, in efforts to cope with today's challenges along with dramatic changes in our social infrastructure due to an influx of diverse cultures; a result of demand to import workers to meet the requirements in so many areas.

Many countries are in the grip of cultural adjustments as more and more people move about the planet seeking to better their conditions in a world made much smaller through easy travel and sophisticated communication. However, many discover sometimes that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Many young women in Asia and other countries have been victims of schemes promising a better life abroad, only to wind up as sex slaves for deviant gangsters operating prostitution rings. Poverty usually drives young women to take these chances and some pay with their lives.

It is poverty and corrupt governments that create havoc in various parts of the globe, and Bermuda should watch and learn from the mistakes of others, if we hope to keep our island home reasonably safe and sound.

The recent horrific terrorism in Mumbai, India, ignited calls for the entire Government to be dismissed, with one woman angrily saying: "Politicians have divided people for their benefit, we need to bring good people to govern this country."

Her sentiments were echoed by many who after the bloodbath that left nearly 200 dead, saw the Government as partly responsible for not doing enough to prevent the attacks. Of course that will be debated in the months ahead as a full probe is launched into the tragedy.

The point though is that governments must connect with the people they serve, or risk a backlash when there is a serious blunder and the people feel left out of the big picture.

Zimbabwe is probably the most vivid example of a type of tyranny today that has plunged that country into a nightmare of poverty and disease while the Mugabe Government refuses to budge from power after losing an election riddled with corruption and violence, leaving the country with a failed economy, a crumbling civil infrastructure and major health problems.

The Zimbabwe Government seems so determined not to have the full plight of its people revealed that the BBC is not allowed to set foot in the country along with other world class news organisations. The lesson for us is that we must beware of Governments that attempt to muzzle the free press at almost any cost.

No public official in a democracy should be above being challenged on matters of the state. That principle is what helps to keep democracy alive.

Bermuda has too small a population to be locked in political and racial infighting at every turn. We have serious crime and traffic problems in addition to an education system that needs some of the good old qualities, along with the so-called modern approaches.

Most Bermudians still love their country, but they are growing confused and disgusted by antics in the political arena that appear to be power motivated. Many Bermudians, black and white, keep their true feelings to themselves, to avoid being judged one way or the other.

Our future will not depend on what politicians do, but on how well the country on a whole learns from watching the mistakes of others. Hopefully our politicians on both sides will realise that the heart beat of Bermuda is not in the Parliament building, but in every neigbourhood throughout the Island.

Some reports claim danger signs were ignored in the Mumbai tragedy. Whether that is true or false is yet to be determined. However here in Bermuda, there are real danger signs that our community life is under threat with more violent crime mostly connected to illegal drugs, and callous motorists making our roads hazardous.

We have plenty of talk about whether this or that should be done, but without positive action from our authorities, we might be setting ourselves up for a dark period when we might look back and wish we had learned from the mistakes of others.

But it may be too late by then.