In [amazon_link id=”0224071785″ target=”_blank” ]The Hemlock Cup[/amazon_link] I came across this summary by Thucydides of Pericles’ description of the skills needed by a politician: “To know what must be done and be able to explain it; to love one’s country; and to be incorruptible.” Hmmm. Thinking about contemporary politicians, I can get two out of the three but can’t identify our Pericles.
[amazon_image id=”0224071785″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens and the Search for the Good Life[/amazon_image]
Which two? Watching UK politics from the other side of the world I am sometimes struggling to get any of the three!
Could a sceptic be excused for seeing fiscal and economic management panic; Europhilia; and expenses scandals (not to mention revelations as to support for the previous Libyan regime) as the UK suffering from a major political skill deficit? 🙁
Sounds like an interesting read! Something that might be very fitting in the US today, with such a bipartisan government. We need our politicians to be “good” politicians; not saying that they don’t love our country as I have no doubt most of them do. And corruption by its pure definition is not evident, but it seems the priorities of our representatives are not in their constituents. Money and power may be the problem behind it all and it might not be, but one thing is that something needs to change. We need good politicians in office today!