@Jear77
Overlooking for the moment the various peculiarities the US electoral college, that’s essentially a democracy.
One cannot just disown the system when it doesn’t work for a time in one’s personal favor — and then champion it when it does! (Or can we? Should we? What does that make us other than hypocrites??).
Even in non-democratic countries, a leader who does not have the support of the people (is not accurately expressing “the will” of enough of them), eventually faces deposition of some (usually violent) kind.
And I would argue that a nation trying to disassociate themselves from responsibility for the system they support/endorse/allow to exist . . . is more “problem” than “solution”.
I think it is the job of a leader to do exactly that.
A population, whether in the context of a tribe, a geo-political entity, a school administration…need to have a capacity to structure policy, that the ephemeral mob of followers demand in their white noise expression of thoughtless commentary.
Otherwise, the person wearing the cloak of responsibility is not a leader trying to make sense of those they serve. They are just component of the thoughtless.
@spitfire3dc
That’s a big part of why being a leader is so difficult. One has to decipher the background noise and produce workable solutions to that end.
And to be a good leader is even more difficult on top of that; because they have to work within an arena of national good over time that the public just cannot see.
There’s a good case study in Hitler. He was a very great observer of the masses and a reactionary Showman. He took note of what stirred up the masses in his speeches, and then translated this into National policy.
But the problem here is that the German citizens after World War 1 were a broken humiliated angry frustrated demoralized people. And Hitler tapped into this to articulate and implement the darkest aspects of human nature.
Consider just how great a leader he might have become had he found himself articulating and implementing the desires of a noble, successful, well-balanced, scientifically curious and altruistic population.
@griz The description you have for the Germans after WW1 is not an inaccurate description of what is going on now. The solution to any “illness” is to first recognize that it exists. Unfortunately pride (to some extent justified) can be a challenging obstacle.
Leadership, as you say, sometimes has to establish strategies not easily observed by short term and superficial thinkers. While Trump beats his chest on isolationism; Xi Jinping is productively setting up routes to increase trade globally, which coincidentally gives China access to strategic seaports in exchange for funding the loans to build the infrastructure. Rather brilliant if you ask me, as the infrastructure building also uses Chinese labour. Long term strategic brilliance, versus short term tactical ignorance.
@spitfire3dc
I believe my assessment of post-war German citizens was accurate. They had reached a unique low point, and the leader articulated it.
The modern tie in is that people can be brought low by extrinsic circumstance . . , or bring themselves low through all manner of fascinating psychological mal-processes.
And then an astute observer can ride a wave of articulating this.
We may be seeing a global changing of the guard as some leaders push forward into the future and others retreat further into the past.
Will it be the best overall thing for our species? Only time will tell. (With the caution that Evolution tends to select against pathology within a species)
11 responses to ““A leader gives articulation to the desires of a population””
Somewhat.
Only those desires of who elected him/ her. Everyone else can go jump in a lake.
@Jear77
Overlooking for the moment the various peculiarities the US electoral college, that’s essentially a democracy.
One cannot just disown the system when it doesn’t work for a time in one’s personal favor — and then champion it when it does! (Or can we? Should we? What does that make us other than hypocrites??).
Even in non-democratic countries, a leader who does not have the support of the people (is not accurately expressing “the will” of enough of them), eventually faces deposition of some (usually violent) kind.
And I would argue that a nation trying to disassociate themselves from responsibility for the system they support/endorse/allow to exist . . . is more “problem” than “solution”.
@griz correction: “representational democracy” – NO country in the world is a TRUE democracy. It would fall flat!
@Jear77
That’s still just a straw man if there’s voting and representation.
@griz the representatives can literally take away the rights of everyone who did not vote for them, if done improperly.
@Jear77
If there was ever a nation that could prevent this from happening, it’s the United States. (Even without all the guns!)
But moaning about conspiracies and victimhood has become a panacea
@griz I didn’t say it would. Improperly is the key word here.
I think it is the job of a leader to do exactly that.
A population, whether in the context of a tribe, a geo-political entity, a school administration…need to have a capacity to structure policy, that the ephemeral mob of followers demand in their white noise expression of thoughtless commentary.
Otherwise, the person wearing the cloak of responsibility is not a leader trying to make sense of those they serve. They are just component of the thoughtless.
@spitfire3dc
That’s a big part of why being a leader is so difficult. One has to decipher the background noise and produce workable solutions to that end.
And to be a good leader is even more difficult on top of that; because they have to work within an arena of national good over time that the public just cannot see.
There’s a good case study in Hitler. He was a very great observer of the masses and a reactionary Showman. He took note of what stirred up the masses in his speeches, and then translated this into National policy.
But the problem here is that the German citizens after World War 1 were a broken humiliated angry frustrated demoralized people. And Hitler tapped into this to articulate and implement the darkest aspects of human nature.
Consider just how great a leader he might have become had he found himself articulating and implementing the desires of a noble, successful, well-balanced, scientifically curious and altruistic population.
@griz The description you have for the Germans after WW1 is not an inaccurate description of what is going on now. The solution to any “illness” is to first recognize that it exists. Unfortunately pride (to some extent justified) can be a challenging obstacle.
Leadership, as you say, sometimes has to establish strategies not easily observed by short term and superficial thinkers. While Trump beats his chest on isolationism; Xi Jinping is productively setting up routes to increase trade globally, which coincidentally gives China access to strategic seaports in exchange for funding the loans to build the infrastructure. Rather brilliant if you ask me, as the infrastructure building also uses Chinese labour. Long term strategic brilliance, versus short term tactical ignorance.
@spitfire3dc
I believe my assessment of post-war German citizens was accurate. They had reached a unique low point, and the leader articulated it.
The modern tie in is that people can be brought low by extrinsic circumstance . . , or bring themselves low through all manner of fascinating psychological mal-processes.
And then an astute observer can ride a wave of articulating this.
We may be seeing a global changing of the guard as some leaders push forward into the future and others retreat further into the past.
Will it be the best overall thing for our species? Only time will tell. (With the caution that Evolution tends to select against pathology within a species)