Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Probably the truest words ever written about politics / governance

The major problem---one of the major problems, for there are several---one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. [I'd like to mention here---and I am in no position to speak of the past Presidents---that I do not think this holds true about APJ Abdul Kalam] To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem.

And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they're not. [It's sad that Abdul Kalam was probably aware of this fact, but did his job anyway. If only people would listen to him.]

And someone in the shadows behind them---who?

Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to do it can be allowed to?

[THE Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Chapter 28]

No comments: