Pensées

“In difficult times carry something beautiful in your heart.” ― Blaise Pascal

Thinking of Special Articles

Julius Caesar

Last night, I didn't post. I was thinking a lot. It’s the season for that. Darkness, cold, emotional reasoning.

The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of... We know the truth not only by the reason, but by the heart. Blaise Pascal, Pensées

One thing” I was tired. It was Friday and I'd been working most of the day on the Special Article-- which means researching and asking asking myself a lot of questions.

I look at what I write and think, "Something's not right here. Something doesn't add up. Something's missing." A lot of "somethings".

In other words, I'm just confused as most people, trying to make sense of this crazy world.

In writing the Special Article, I've been reading a lot of history – again. Both ancient and contemporary. Was Julius Caesar a great leader? Was his successor Octavian also? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? Bismarck? Stalin? FDR? Mao? Castro? Hugo Chavez?

What’s in a word?

What’s in a name? Nothing much. I didn’t think of myself by my name until I was in high school. People called me “Julian”. That was a designator. But I had no word for my ‘self” I did not really know what it was, much less “who”.

We use a lot of words without thinking of what they mean. What does your “name” mean? It’s an emotional thing.

“Love” is a good example of another word —whose meaning is emotional.

In the case of my Special Article, there is that word “Leader"-- which generally means a person that other people follow – willingly or unwillingly. .

We use the term "great leader" usually to indicate someone who mobilizes people to deliver real change, transform society for the better. Often as not, it is a form of deification.But everyone has a slightly different sense of what “leader” or “great leader” mean, depending on emotional experience. We forget that he or she is just a person.

How about the word “better”? What does transforming society for the “better” mean? Is it like Obama’s “change you can believe in” which was no change at all? Obama didn’t mean real “change” or true belief but the opposite.

Historical Leaders

I know, I know…my view of things makes everything complicated. And I should just stop thinking.

Going back to “better”….

Did Washington or Lincoln actually make things "better" for people in the United States as, say, FDR did? As Castro did in Cuba-- compared to what was before at least? Or Hugo Chavez in Venezuela? Or Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam?.

Stalin and Mao transformed their countries – but arguably at great cost-- and it was left to others to fix their mistakes.

Vision, values, empathy, adaptability

Contradiction is not a sign of falsity, nor the lack of contradiction a sign of truth. Blaise Pascal Pensees

Despite these caveats and contradictions—and semantics or semiotics aside — I would say there really are some great leaders, worthy of emotional acceptance.

They must have a vision-- but one rooted in reality. They must have values consistent not only with their cultures --but that also speak to an understanding of the human condition and human needs. They must have empathy . Most important of all, they must be adaptable, learn from their mistakes in changing circumstances.

They cannot be political animals, which psychopathy!

In other words, those who seek power for its own sake should not be given it. Such “leaders’ end up being great villains.

But then how do leaders ascend? Old Bill has the answer.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them. William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Great leaders usually have greatness thrust upon them – they do not seek it for itself – but only to serve. Empathy yes— but also altruism.

Such people are rare.

One thing I noticed was that many outstanding leaders and difficult childhoods-- and/ or traumatic or transformative events in adolescence—or occasionally later -- that somehow made them different and see the world differently. That was true of Castro and Chavez and FDR, Also true of Putin and Xi Jinping.

Putin

Well…. Maybe . Gotta think about that! Pensées indeed. Help me Blaise.

When Alexander greeted Diogenes, he asked him if he wanted anything,

"Yes," said Diogenes, "stand out of my sun”. .

Alexander’s entourage jeered at the philosopher as they left.

Alexander said, “I if I were not Alexander, I wish I were Diogenes. Adapted from Plutarch.

Let me know what YOU think about “great leaders” and “greatness”?

Putin Speaks: the Teleconference

One of the amazing things about Putin is that he speaks as a person rather than a politician. Maybe I like that because I try to write as person, rather than a “Writer”. In any case, Putin’s personhood endows his words with an authenticity that you don’t find in others.

Another thing I did yesterday was to parse Putin's teleconference -- which as you know was more than four hours long.. There is a lot there to think about. Which I will write about later. For the time being, let us just say that his speech confirmed my sense of him: he’s the real deal. He gives the term “leader meaning that rings true.

Russia Strikes Back

And today on waking, I found the Russians had struck the SBU command center in Kiev. The MSM of course misrepresented things .

Some media made it sound like it was an attack on embassies like the embassy of Portugal and others, six in total, which appear to have been hit by fragments of Ukrainian air defense missiles, which as usual didn't hit their targets, but detonated in the air over the city showering fragments.

The MSM dutifully reported the Ukrainian claim of shooting down all of the ballistic missiles, which are hypersonic. Of course the Ukrainians simply don't have that capability .

Lies, damned lies – and the media!

That aside, the SBU command center was destroyed -- and with it (hopefully) SBU personnel and NATO officers. The Russians also struck air defense sites and munitions depots.

The MSM will no doubt try to spin this is another sign of Russian weakness!

Is like a football game where your side is losing and losing but you keep on cheering, hoping for a sudden turn around . When the other side wins, you claim they cheated, start a riot and beat up some innocent bystanders--ore even kill them.

The West are football hooligans writ large.

More to come

But there is more to come. More strikes

Despite all the talk about Putin "compromising" to make nice with Donald Trump and avoid escalating the "war" in Ukraine, he is actually escalating reprisal strikes which destroyed Western Ukraine military infrastructure .

Russia’s response to the latest Ukrainian crime will not keep itself waiting, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said, commenting on Friday’s missile attack on the town of Rylsk in the bordering Russian region of Kursk.

"Our response to this deliberate criminal attack on Russian civilians will come shortly," the diplomat warned as he denounced the attack as yet another unambiguous step by the Kiev regime toward escalation.

Six people, including a child, were killed in the attack and 10 others were hospitalized.

The Russian Investigative Committee is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism. TASS

Coffee keeps us warm

There is nothing quite like hot coffee on a cold winter’s day. Or hot cocoa on a cold winter’s night.

Cats can’t drink either. But if you buy me a coffee, I can buy Ichi and Chappy treats for Xmas.

Get on the mailing list for the special article, which hopefully will be less abstruse than this post —click here to buy us coffee!