Isn't the more important feature of leadership-abuse the addiction of power once its experienced? If that fact is well known, then why do the rules that the political culture invents for itself, NOT include term limits that are on the order of months and include the accumulated time spent in subordinate offices?
I agree that generally power attracts the corrupt, not that power corrupts (of course, both occur). Interestingly, the longest-lasting republic, San Marino, founded in 310 CE (check me on the date), has a 6-month presidential term and two presidents with equal power. But the second-longest continuous government, the Holy See, has a lifetime ruler. However, limiting the amount of time a single person, and I would argue a political party, has power inherently limits abuse.
Thanks for the note on San Marino. Interesting geo-politics . . . that place. It's sort of like what Hong Kong used to be for China. It's not exactly a country with an army and stuff. And the Holy See rents their army. It's the power those "places" don't have that keeps psychopaths from applying to be ruler and becoming tyrants when they experience that power.
That's an interesting premise, the power they don't have. Just off the top of my head, not a lot of dominating, corrupt power seekers in the non-profit world, or youth sport, but plenty in large corporations and professional sports.
When capitalism dominated the culture, there was now a second place which a psychopath could wield power and become great. There is a profound difference however between Caligula, Stalin, and Pol Pot, and Steve Jobs, Andrew Carnegie, and Elon Musk.
Thanks to government, the environment which capitalism exists in, allows only interactions which parties to an exchange both feel benefited. Not so the political realm where only culture maintains any sort of rules. No matter how big Carnegie Steel, it cannot cause famine by mismanagement or escalate tension into war. But no matter how small a government, it can conscript, and tax and anger a foreign power to create an enemy that makes his own tyranny seem like patriotism.
Isn't the more important feature of leadership-abuse the addiction of power once its experienced? If that fact is well known, then why do the rules that the political culture invents for itself, NOT include term limits that are on the order of months and include the accumulated time spent in subordinate offices?
I agree that generally power attracts the corrupt, not that power corrupts (of course, both occur). Interestingly, the longest-lasting republic, San Marino, founded in 310 CE (check me on the date), has a 6-month presidential term and two presidents with equal power. But the second-longest continuous government, the Holy See, has a lifetime ruler. However, limiting the amount of time a single person, and I would argue a political party, has power inherently limits abuse.
Thanks for the note on San Marino. Interesting geo-politics . . . that place. It's sort of like what Hong Kong used to be for China. It's not exactly a country with an army and stuff. And the Holy See rents their army. It's the power those "places" don't have that keeps psychopaths from applying to be ruler and becoming tyrants when they experience that power.
That's an interesting premise, the power they don't have. Just off the top of my head, not a lot of dominating, corrupt power seekers in the non-profit world, or youth sport, but plenty in large corporations and professional sports.
When capitalism dominated the culture, there was now a second place which a psychopath could wield power and become great. There is a profound difference however between Caligula, Stalin, and Pol Pot, and Steve Jobs, Andrew Carnegie, and Elon Musk.
Thanks to government, the environment which capitalism exists in, allows only interactions which parties to an exchange both feel benefited. Not so the political realm where only culture maintains any sort of rules. No matter how big Carnegie Steel, it cannot cause famine by mismanagement or escalate tension into war. But no matter how small a government, it can conscript, and tax and anger a foreign power to create an enemy that makes his own tyranny seem like patriotism.
This commentary will be fascinating to read.
Get us started.