--- On Sun, 14/6/09, Bruce Metcalf <[email protected]> wrote:
> From: Bruce Metcalf <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: [silk] How do we survive our leaders?
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Sunday, 14 June, 2009, 10:19 AM
> Indrajit Gupta wrote:
>
> > It strikes me that this extends far deeper than just a
> national
> > leadership. Why is even our leadership at state level
> so poor? A
> > cross-section of people from the street, or from
> homes, or from any
> > statistically valid random sample will display a
> greater degree of
> > moral rectitude than our leadership.
> >
> > This is in no way specific to India or to Bangalore.
> Why is it
> > seemingly generally true that political leadership
> anywhere is
> > demonstratably of a lower moral standard than the
> population it
> > purports to serve?
>
> I can attest that this observation applies to the many
> levels of government here in the US as a valid first
> approximation, though less so as one approaches the most
> local governmental bodies.
>
> At university, one of my professors was an advocate of the
> belief that there exists a particular political personality
> -- a personality disorder, if you will -- that predisposes
> some to seek political office in general, and fame and power
> in particular.
>
> This syndrome is observed to encompass "flexible" standards
> of morality, above average levels of greed, the disbelief
> that they are subject to societal rules or laws, the further
> disbelief that they will be held accountable if caught
> (largely true, alas), and in men the tendency to chase
> skirts.
>
> This pattern is viewed by some -- myself included -- as a
> psychological defect, much as pathological lying or
> kleptomania. Why then is it tolerated, and even lauded?
>
> I fear it comes down to the fairly simple point that such
> personalities, unfettered by concern for any truth but their
> own, are at a competitive advantage in public elections, and
> especially in fundraising, which has really become the
> prerequisite to the former, at least here.
>
> This combination leads to the widespread folk wisdom that
> "an honest man cannot be elected". It does still happen,
> however, and they are remembered largely for being
> ineffective, for their standards do not permit them to
> engage in the mutual back-scratching (or backstabbing) and
> graft that is the conventional way of business in
> government.
>
> I despair of inventing a cure for the problem. I doubt that
> even Parkinson's prescription would serve (seven year terms
> followed immediately by public execution). General despair
> over this is what I think leads to the low voter turnout
> here (compared to other nations).
>
> The conclusion -- that we are inevitably being led by
> madmen -- is hard to escape and hard to endure, yet it does
> explain much.
>
> Bruce
This, regrettably, is something like what I suspected would emerge.
I have a question, following on from some of the things you mentioned, although
you are obviously not putting it up as scientific evidence.
Assuming that you are right, and political leaders tend to be lunatic or
dishonest (or, of course, needless to add, both), is it then a possible
solution to modify Parkinson - appoint citizens from the general population
rather as jurymen are selected in the UK or US, appoint them for a suitably
long term and then retire them with no further opportunity to serve?
At least this way, we would be assured that the markedly dishonest would not
come to power, but that the political leadership would reflect a cross-section
of their constituency.
Another question.
If political leaders tend to be lunatic or dishonest, do we then assume that
the cult of leadership in management circles is similarly an exercise in
futility?
Is, in fact, the whole concept of a charismatic CEO just a recruiters' device
to earn larger head-hunting fees from gullible boards? Or is there really
something called leadership, which can be isolated in specific individuals, and
be shown to operate persistently over a period of time?
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