Background - Current Governance & Leadership:
I would hate to be a Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Labour in this age (never been one!). That for one reason. We have all seen the societal damage caused by the extremisms of the left and right. None of the intolerance and hatred is good enough. Nevertheless, whoever wins an election is good enough to govern.
After all, a bad government is better than no government. All due respect to the good people of conscience in all the parties. Not an easy task, leading or governing. 'Mainstreamers' and 'extremers' live together in one party, defending the action and inaction of one another. They always have my prayer and best wishes (and I hope yours too) and my input of research and policy, leadership and governance ideas, to their good success. They deserve all hands to the deck because whatever they do in governance and leadership, good or evil, comes down on the entire nation. Not least, in exerting tremendous influence on, shaping, and defining the future of young people. Hence:
In all my engagement with the subject of leadership, my task in mentoring young people across colleges and higher education has been most fulfilling, although toughest over the past six years in particular; here's why and my notes from conversations with and to young people.
Influence of Governance & Leadership on Young People:
What I'm hearing back from young people has been most bewildering in terms of what they see and hear from former President Trump in relation to what they learn from many other societal leaders (parents/family, teachers, chaplains, lecturers, etc.). They now wonder whether those values, such as honesty and empathy, valuing and respecting others as yourself, never self above others/the common good, engagement rather than divisiveness, debates and tolerance, rather than insults and violence, and those leadership and problem-solving skills, are worthwhile at all.
Leadership is indeed what it is – influence. Many young people now think bullying, bluffing, belligerence, and such insane demagoguery with lying and deception, might be the right way to move forward in life and be successful. They reckon the Trumpian strategy is not a bad thing after all. It seems to work [but as history shows, it only works for a while]. Just like when lies run ahead at 250 km/hour while the truth is crawling on its knees at 25 km/hour getting set to run: it's a matter of time. Truth gets ahead of lies. The liar may laugh first. It is the truth-teller that laughs last. The followers of a liar are caught first, it is the liar that's caught last. Some young people are already deploying those evil strategies to get ahead with their dreams and aspirations: steal, cheat, bully, deny, and blame others. Then, by all means, and without boundaries, get to the front seats of life. Where does that leave this generation and the coming generation of young people?
Demagoguery – A Long Word with a Long Journey, Then It Ends Brutally in One Day:
It always has a long history, then once the chips are down and demagogues begin to lose (they start and never stop losing at this stage), and ultimately fall (always after all others around them have fallen!). Thereafter, it's hard work by parents/family, teachers, ministers/chaplains, lecturers, doctors, mental health professionals, etc., to restore values, ethics, and norms, and renew society.
Once again, I bring back a quote I made in this forum recently - Lest we forget the wise sayings of America's former President, Theodore Roosevelt: "There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility" and "this country has nothing to fear from the crooked man who fails. We put him in jail. It is the crooked man who succeeds who is a threat to this country." Never copy a demagogue because you are not, except you are. If you are, well, he is old and experienced in demagoguery. You are young and inexperienced. He goes free for now (putting his experience to work), while you get in trouble immediately with dire consequences. He has a few years of lifespan left to face consequences. You have long years, all your lifetime, to face consequences. Dear young people, you are worst off following a demagogue.
You Are Young and Original, Not a Copy. Never Copy a Demagogue:
Finally, here's an old saying to say adieu: '99 days for the thief, 1 day for the owner' (when the thief is caught). Always preview that 1 day before you start the 99 days. We turn over to our guest, Megan, who brings in a parting quote for today:
"Donald Trump's superpower is his shameless self-interest. One day, it might finally fail him." (Megan McArdle in Chicago Tribune 8-9/10/2019).
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