Remember Louis XVI and Contravention of The Nature of Government (2)
March 20 2017 By Abiodun Giwa
There are three major leadership responsibilities, which outline the nature of government. These responsibilities are management of resources, unfailing provisions for the people's needs and protection of the people from external aggression.
The emergence of Joseph the dream interpreter in Egypt, and Pharaoh's decision to bequeath the management of resources in Joseph's hands, because of Joseph's demonstration of knowledge, based on his interpretation of Joseph's dream, underlines the importance of resources' management by government.
Pharaoh's acceptance of Joseph's interpretation of his dream, making Joseph second in command - in charge of management - to ensure that the people got what they needed before and during the famine, underscores the importance of ensuring provisions for the people's needs, and Pharaoh's concern for the care of his people, as a leader.
In "Oedipus Rex" or "Oedipus the King", a story about an Athenian tragedy by Sophocle, the king was enthroned after he successfully after he solved 'The Riddle of the Sphinx' - saving the people from the pain of death, imposed on anyone entering the city lacking ability to solve the riddle.
But after Oedipus became king, something else happened, which challenge his ability to save the people from distress and pain plague that ravaged the land. The elders were seen in front of the palace seeking audience with Oedipus for a solution to the problem of the plague.
Famine could have been part of the plague; excessive hunger arising from famine could have been p;art of the plague, women dying with their babies in the womb and not delivering the babies safely could be part of the plague, people falling sick and not recovering from their illnesses could have been part of the plague. There were serious concerns about lack of well being in the land and need for the leadership to be responsive.
Oedipus showed a responsiveness, but he was consumed by personal preservation and lacking sensitivity, and failed to address the issue that the people wanted answer. Exactly like Louis XVI of France. Instead of providing and answer, he was engulfed in fights with his own subordinates over sense of superiority and unnecessary allegations about usurpation of power against people, including members of his own family, who should have protected his interest.
Unlike Oedipus, Pharaoh understood the essence and nature of government and leadership's responsibilities. Unlike Pharaoh, many people who parade themselves as leaders in modern life are in the mode of Oedipus - selfish, insensitive and lacking the sense of management and leadership's commitments' requirements.
Imagine a leader, either telling his people or approving his subordinates, to say to the people that the people needs to go through famine or hard times, before arriving at a promised land or achieve desirable goals? When no dime has been taking out of the leader and his subordinates perks, but the leader expect the people to be the carrier of the burden.
When the cost of governance - (providing for the needs of the leaders) and the cost of ensuring the nature of government - (meeting the needs of the people), and what happens in a period of insufficiency, with the leaders enjoying unlimited perks of office, while the people loses the avenue to three square meals a day.
Pharaoh knew the danger inherent in allowing the people to go into hunger. He avoided it. But Louis XVI did not. Rather than understood the implication of living large, while the people suffered hunger, he allowed his wife and members of his family to live a life opposite of the hunger in the land. And he lost out in the power game, like Oedipus, who was later haunted by his past.
A lesson that any leader, who have lost the ability to provide essential needs of life for the people, no matter the cause, has lost relevance and should be disinvested of power. But what we have today is that when a government has failed, not because the polarised media says it has failed, but because there is hunger, joblessness and despair among the people, the government people play the moralists, telling the people what to do and what not to do, while they as the masters, are beyond reproach, against James Madison's tutorial.
The emergence of Joseph the dream interpreter in Egypt, and Pharaoh's decision to bequeath the management of resources in Joseph's hands, because of Joseph's demonstration of knowledge, based on his interpretation of Joseph's dream, underlines the importance of resources' management by government.
Pharaoh's acceptance of Joseph's interpretation of his dream, making Joseph second in command - in charge of management - to ensure that the people got what they needed before and during the famine, underscores the importance of ensuring provisions for the people's needs, and Pharaoh's concern for the care of his people, as a leader.
In "Oedipus Rex" or "Oedipus the King", a story about an Athenian tragedy by Sophocle, the king was enthroned after he successfully after he solved 'The Riddle of the Sphinx' - saving the people from the pain of death, imposed on anyone entering the city lacking ability to solve the riddle.
But after Oedipus became king, something else happened, which challenge his ability to save the people from distress and pain plague that ravaged the land. The elders were seen in front of the palace seeking audience with Oedipus for a solution to the problem of the plague.
Famine could have been part of the plague; excessive hunger arising from famine could have been p;art of the plague, women dying with their babies in the womb and not delivering the babies safely could be part of the plague, people falling sick and not recovering from their illnesses could have been part of the plague. There were serious concerns about lack of well being in the land and need for the leadership to be responsive.
Oedipus showed a responsiveness, but he was consumed by personal preservation and lacking sensitivity, and failed to address the issue that the people wanted answer. Exactly like Louis XVI of France. Instead of providing and answer, he was engulfed in fights with his own subordinates over sense of superiority and unnecessary allegations about usurpation of power against people, including members of his own family, who should have protected his interest.
Unlike Oedipus, Pharaoh understood the essence and nature of government and leadership's responsibilities. Unlike Pharaoh, many people who parade themselves as leaders in modern life are in the mode of Oedipus - selfish, insensitive and lacking the sense of management and leadership's commitments' requirements.
Imagine a leader, either telling his people or approving his subordinates, to say to the people that the people needs to go through famine or hard times, before arriving at a promised land or achieve desirable goals? When no dime has been taking out of the leader and his subordinates perks, but the leader expect the people to be the carrier of the burden.
When the cost of governance - (providing for the needs of the leaders) and the cost of ensuring the nature of government - (meeting the needs of the people), and what happens in a period of insufficiency, with the leaders enjoying unlimited perks of office, while the people loses the avenue to three square meals a day.
Pharaoh knew the danger inherent in allowing the people to go into hunger. He avoided it. But Louis XVI did not. Rather than understood the implication of living large, while the people suffered hunger, he allowed his wife and members of his family to live a life opposite of the hunger in the land. And he lost out in the power game, like Oedipus, who was later haunted by his past.
A lesson that any leader, who have lost the ability to provide essential needs of life for the people, no matter the cause, has lost relevance and should be disinvested of power. But what we have today is that when a government has failed, not because the polarised media says it has failed, but because there is hunger, joblessness and despair among the people, the government people play the moralists, telling the people what to do and what not to do, while they as the masters, are beyond reproach, against James Madison's tutorial.
