Showing posts with label Tony Blair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Blair. Show all posts

Friday

About ideology and leadership

200705
(answer to a question about "Ideology and 'Leadership' in Your World")

Ideology can be a means of leadership (ie to challenge, reach, maintain, strengthen the status), but one doesn't necessarily need it to enjoy leadership. Content generally matters less than the look, or charisma. When both are combined, that can be very efficient and potentially dangerous, depending on the character and the ideology : the first face that generally comes to mind when you mention "ideology" and "leadership" is Adolph Hitler's.

The rencent French presidential elections opposed two styles of leadership and clearly raised the issue of ideology, traditionally a taboo in French politics (it echoes dark periods of our history). Both finalists had a lot of charisma and overused images and symbols, but one would rely on an outspoken and consistent ideology (the winner, Nicolas Sarkozy) while the other (Segolene Royal) avoided the issues because her own camp was too divided to agree on a clear and consistent vision (not to mention the lack of consistence of the candidate herself). The socialists had to admit this failure on ideology cost them the elections. Note that Blair also won 10 years ago on that turf. Time will tell whether Sarkozy can deliver the goods he promised... or the evils he is sometimes stimulating.

To me, true leadership is about changing the ideology, not surfing on it.

Thursday

Red Blogule to the diplomacy of coercion - al Qaeda votes Bush

Archives 20041019

Look how Dubya tries to draft more leaders behind his reelection bid:
- For over one year and a half, Blair has been coerced into redeploying more soldiers to the Iraqi hot spots. He managed to postpone the decision till now but cannot refuse anymore since Washington imposed an ultimatum. Should he refuse, he would contradict his own defense of the invation and lose next elections. The only reason why he's hesitating now is : "what if this son of a Bush loses his own elections ?"
- Putin says terrorists want his fellow dictator Bush ousted November the 2nd, but why would muslim fundamentalists want to fire their best ally in the world ? To the contrary, they contribute to the climate of fear that keeps this excuse for a Prez rolling in the polls. What will Putin get for casting his ballot ? Expect a global warming of the relationships between him and the US. Expect a generous portion of Youkos to land in certain oily hands. Expect a wider access to Iraqi contracts to Russian investors.
- Look how Powell is travelling across the globe these days. Expect a kind intervention from say Koizumi or Berlusconi, lauding Dubya's stature as commander in chief of the biggest diplomatic failure this side of WWII.

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