Leadership for the days ahead

If I were put against the wall, what would I say? I mean if I had been requested to underline just one – one is singular, no escape with long lines and a torrent of words – one key positive feature of an exemplary politician what would I refer to?

Before I respond, please note the word positive. In these times of tremendous challenges, we must talk about the future based on a constructive approach. After the Donald Trump experience, I am no longer prepared to accept negative, destructive leaders.

Going back to the question about the key feature, my answer would be about dedication to the common good. Dedication means, in my mind, full commitment to the public leadership job. It means a keen sense of duty and willingness to personal sacrifice. It is a continuous, strenuous search for a better, more respectful, more balanced, and more ecological society.

A leader is a self-sacrificing person.

Plenty of false prophets around us

Philosophers, sociologists, and other social scientists are exchanging lots of views about the political and societal impact of the coronavirus. And many people just repeat those comments without a thoughtful analysis of what is said. Even serious newspapers do it.

My impression is that many of those intellectuals have a preconceived idea, an ideological business line they try to peddle at all costs. As such, they want us to see in the crisis the confirmation of their pet theories. A kind of "I warned you". It is a biased reading of the situation at a time when we need objectivity and serenity.

This is no time for propagandists. There should be no room for any type of false prophets.

Our objective should be to base ourselves on accepted values ​​and to propose paths which would allow reinforcing these values. Therefore, we must be clear about the values ​​that we share, and which are part of the world’s common treasure, at the international level.

We must include, not exclude. We must understand and look for better ways of living together and sustaining life on this planet. Intellectuals that transform every sentence on bump fire should get no visibility at this stage. Or be thoroughly criticised and rationally challenged.

Opinion texts must be short and direct

I said before that brevity is a sign of intelligence. And I am still convinced that is the case. The problem is that I have a few friends who are highly intelligent but think that a long text, with many words and shooting in several directions, is what is expected from an intellectual. How can I change their minds? I try to tell them that there is very little patience for meandering texts of opinion. But they don’t believe me. And they keep copying and pasting their ideas every time they produce a new piece.

The right question

I have always admired those who are good at asking the pertinent questions. For me, that proves they are intelligent people. A well-formulated question is powerful. The other side can feel deeply challenged. And that's what we want politicians to feel. 

More about the Gilets Jaunes

Another Saturday, another day of rallies for the Gilets Jaunes in France. This is going on since November 2018, almost six months ago. It has been an incredibly long protest movement.

It is true that today’s mobilisation was much weaker than the previous ones. But people were still on the streets, in Paris, Bordeaux and elsewhere. And the forecast is that the rallies will continue. At least until the end of May, when the European elections will be held.

It is not easy to draw all the lessons from the Gilets Jaunes. President Macron has tried to respond to some of the grievances. However, for some, the President’s announcements were not good enough. He himself is seen by those who continue to walk the streets as the target that must be shot down.

That position will not change.

But it is important for the President to be responsive to some of complaints, but also be firm and determined to modernise the French society. It is equally vital he sends the message that public chaos and law-breaking will be seriously punished. Peaceful demonstrations, yes. Looting and destruction, no.

Furthermore, it will be a mistake to approach the Gilets Jaunes from an elitist perspective. Or from a higher-class platform. They are citizens like everyone else. And they should be treated with respect, as long as they remain within the bounds of the law and the rules of civility. I have seen some intellectuals trying to belittle the Gilets Jaunes. In my opinion, such position is not helpful.

As it is not correct to romanticise or glamorise them, as some artists and people from the creative arts have tried to do today, in the Libération newspaper. Their statement is a hotchpotch of idealism, naivety and populism. It does not take the debate any further. It adds nothing to a better understanding of the social issues and frustrations some people are confronted with.

The Gilets Jaunes simply represent a social group that needs attention, firmness but also the building of some bridges.  

I don´t get it but I admire your ideas

Noam Chomsky, the old contrarian linguist and philosopher whose main ideas are about attacking every dimension of the US foreign policy – Chomsky is a US citizen, by the way -, is an idol of every self-respecting leftist intellectual in some parts of Europe. A few days ago he came to Lisbon to deliver a conference about the role of social sciences in today´s world. The auditorium was packed and some people had to follow the talk from an adjacent amphitheatre. The applause at the end of Chomsky´s long presentation was intense. Then, media people talked to the attendees, to get their impressions about the ideas they just heard. Many just confessed they had not understood Chomsky´s arguments. But they were amazed by the philosopher´s depth, knowledge and courage.

And I thought of that movie where the comedian Roberto Benigni said they were famous just because they were famous. No other reason was needed, no other explanation could be found. In this case, Chomsky for the Portuguese leftists is just great because they don´t understand what he is saying but he is against the establishment. That´s a reason good enough.