--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], Sal Sunshine <salsunshine@> > wrote: > > > > On Mar 8, 2007, at 8:59 PM, authfriend wrote: > > > > > The bulk of the evidence is that he *was* revered > > > for his personal qualities. > > > > That's called a "cult of personality," Judy, and is > > usually not considered very healthy. Reverence for > > him and others like him based on personal qualities > > might be one of the reasons India is such a mess. > > Exactly. *George W. Bush* is revered by millions > of Americans for his personal qualities.
Reverence for a leader on the basis of his or her personal qualities does not, of course, automatically constitute a "cult of personality." A "cult of personality" exists when the reverence for the leader is based on alleged personal qualities that he or she either does not actually possess, or that are irrelevant in evaluating his or her actions as a leader (as Shakespeare has Hamlet describe the fratridical King Claudius, "That one can smile, and smile, and be a villain"). The term therefore is an expression of opinion about the leader's character and/or the nature of his/her actions, not a statement of established fact. And obviously, that the majority of Americans would now say support for Bush constitutes a "cult of personality" says absolutely zero about whether the reverence for Guru Dev entailed a "cult of personality." Each case must be evaluated on its own merits. The equivalence Barry draws is a little like saying that because the fans of Andrea Bocelli revere him despite his lack of genuine musical talent, therefore reverence for Placido Domingo is equally misplaced. Also, it's not always one or the other. Bill Clinton was revered for his personal qualities at least as much as Bush is, despite some serious failures of character; but their respective failings, both personally and politically, are hardly comparable in terms of their effects on national and global well- being. (Well, one might say Clinton's inability to keep his zipper up had the effect of putting George Bush in office, but that just highlights the complexities involved in applying the "cult of personality" label.)
