It has been some time since my last post – not a long time in comparison to the age of the universe, not a long time in consideration of my entire life, but a long time when you think what can happen, or be said, or be thought, in just a normal day.

I think the problem is the ‘normal’ days get in the way of our life.  We live just getting by,
just doing the shopping, washing the clothes, paying the bills and getting the kids to school on time.

We waste our days being busy and then flop in front of the TV or more probably watch cats riding on vacuum cleaners on Youtube and check on Facebook if our friends are still holidaying in a more interesting place than us.

We vote at elections, listen to the political rhetoric on TV in the lead up, don’t believe a word of it (although we live in hope!) and then we see the country being just the same as it was before the election – the Politicians fight, the Unions demand, the workers revolt – remember the workers are always revolting!

We look to our leaders and can’t see them, because they are not leading.  We want someone to look up to, but find that they are too busy not worrying about us.  They tell us they are, but we don’t feel it – we feel the increasing pressure of our bills, we fear crime in our streets (we don’t even know if there is more crime in our streets as all statistics seem to tell us we are better off than our parents ever were…), we suspect everyone not like us is a terrorist hiding in our suburbs (but saying anything is illegal – unless you report it officially and become a whistleblower – all of whom usually suffer more than the whistled…) and the illegal immigrants storming the beaches by the millions….

I was chatting with a mate the other day, a very smart mate, and he said there are no more ‘Statesmen’ (to stop the whinge – he said Stateswomen and then Statesperson…).  It just constantly appears that the people we look up to are not traditionally who we looked up to.

Our social leaders for kids are the Kardashians.

Our political leaders in Australia are playing musical chairs and internationally they are either facing criminal charges, impeachment or a ratings slump.

Our values are dictated by The Family Guy, The Bachelor and a 10 second grab on the 30 minutes of News each evening, before an average of a third of the boardcast, minus advertisements, is taken up by sport – followed by a happy weather girl who smiles and waves her hands about to make us think tomorrow’s sunny conditions are not global warming but a great day to spend $25.00 on a show bag of stuff we can buy for half the price at Aldi!

Where are the Statesmen – or women or persons!

We look to our Gods (even though more and more of us see them as only destructive or imaginary) and are still lost.  We read their books.  We quote them

Proverbs 29:18
“Where there is no vision, the people perish”

I think we are perishing: I think the vision is only to the next election, the next budget or to avoid the next media frenzy.

I can never understand what motivates the rich or the powerful to become richer or more powerful…  Surely, somewhere in that money making mind or that power crazed need, there is an appealing aspect to doing things for the common good.

But, who decides the common good – usually those that are not too common.

Are we all so obsessed with the personal vision of our own self interest predominantly because that is the way we are being led.  Although most of us are
a part of the majority – that is, not to poor, not too rich, not to powerful, not to suppressed – that climbing to an unattainable level of wealth and power, as sold to us by the media (the Merchants of Misery) is the vision that actually drives us and the welfare of our neighbour can easily be sacrificed to walk on anyone to strive to attain a mostly unattainable goal.

Where are the Statesmen – okay!!!! Stateswoman, Statesperson!!!!!

I think what is lacking is our ‘leaders’ our ‘guides’ in this modern age are a few of the basic qualities to make them a true Statesman (enough, I’m not writing the others anymore!)

True Statesmen work for the people, they lead the people and are supported by the people – they are our bedrock.

The True Statesmen:

• Understand the values and opinions of the followers.
• Are a part of the majority, they identify with it (not just talk at it), they truely empathise and have a bedrock of principles tied to the welfare of all.
• Don’t shape the people through compliance, rewards and punishment, but by building a consensus to achieve a vision – they do this by people wanting to be like them, wanting to adopt their vision and values.
• Actually have a vision – where all is better for all.
• We trust them – even if we don’t like them we still trust them.

Where are the true Statesmen today?

Where are the true Statesmen who will remind us, and lead us, and inspire us to create a society that cares for its most vulnerable, works for the greater good, is happier, more trusting, safer and most of all leaves a true legacy of greatness behind.

Will the next true Statesman, or Stateswoman, or Statesperson, please….. please….. step forward.