The plan, people, is that on this page you tell me why Themba’s Head is misguided, irrelevant, imaginary or before its time, and why my logic is up the spout. Then I reply with why it’s real, it’s now, it’s going to boost your life, too, and it’s your logic that needs repair.
Then we go home and have two beers or equiv, and toast each other from a distance. And you decide that Democracy Two is the way to go.
Well, that's the plan. Variations may occur. And I promise I won’t always grab the last word.
For 6 months all I got from Themba’s Head was a handful of guys who had read to page 10 or 20 (in one case, page 6) saying “let me tell you why you’re wrong”. Since then, things have picked up. Here’s Carmen, beautiful person and as free and independent a spirit as you are ever going to find:
Give us an Autocrat!
You have taught me to dream big, so I dream of peace and kindness and a gentle world with safe and happy children. However, educating masses to understand the ramifications of election is an ideal - kudos to you for holding up ideals, but ideals are not real. Despots, Tyrants and Dictators are a part of our world and the un/enfranchised masses respond to these all too easily.
A Benevolent Autocrat seems more of an answer. “Autocrat” is the truer term... one respected by the nation, reigning with benevolence and peace. In my mind this beloved and revered leader is a mix of Archbishop Desmond Tutu with a Margaret Thatcher type of iron will. A guiding leader with impeccable integrity, firm resolve and determination/dreams.
Alternatively wouldn’t it be better to cultivate Four-Fold leaders than an appropriately educated electorate..? A four fold leader is a Visionary, Healer, Teacher and Warrior per Dr Angeles Arrien’s excellent writings, (the Warrior being a leader who demonstrates right use of power, responsible and accountable with honour and respect.) The Four-Fold Way is one of those books every family should refer to.
And here’s my reply:
You’re welcome, just vote him/her in
Autocrat? That’s lovely. That means “nice dictator”, unlike tyrant or despot, nasty dictators. I see your thinking and I feel wet-blankety having to suggest that whichever term you use, you end up with the same rupture.
Tutu can be your beloved and revered leader because he is not in power. If being beloved and revered got him pushed into power he would straightaway start shedding love and reverence. However impeccable his integrity and his resolve and his determination, he makes decisions that leave some people feeling they got the short straw, and those people conspire, and digs arms caches, and the only end to autocracy is rupture.
Thatcher may not have enjoyed much love, at least from the media set, but she did enjoy votes. In Themba’s world you’ll be at all times welcome to elect a Thatcher and to keep on electing her as long as her iron will is doing what you want it do it.
When it starts doing something else, though... well, we knew that Thatcher, once unelected, would step down. In many parts of the world you aren’t sure if the elected leader was really elected, and are less sure that he will vacate the stage when he is unelected. In places like that, Themba will be useful. When you have your several circles of power, each of them wielding clout, each of them needing their voters more than they need party headquarters, you’ll be sure.
I love your Four-Fold leaders. In Themba’s world I would imagine you choosing that kind of person to vote for. I could imagine you being that kind of person to be voted for. I might vote for you, too. But what creates stability and justice is not the leader but the structure. Rather than that the leader can hold up a certificate of Four-Foldness I want a structure that will work whether I choose to vote for a Four-Fold leader or for my cousin, my hereditary chief, my creditor or a person who came to me in a dream.
That is to say, Themba’s world makes no difference to Dr Arrien’s professional life. He can his case the same as ever. But while he does it he’ll be living in a stabler society. As will you.
Keep on and keep strong, be well and be Carmen.
Denis
I give you Carmen as an example of a bite-sized issue. She has raised others since, and we’re going to come to them one by one. There are quite a few other existing exchanges to come up here, too, but right now I'm hoping for fresh exchanges with people I don't know -- people like, um, you, perhaps?
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