Leadership

Let’s just note here for the record that Trump has again said that Vladimir Putin is a better “leader” than President Obama. Set aside whatever quarrels we have with Putin. He is unquestionably an autocrat who has usurped virtually all power in his country, rendered all but the most marginal media subservient to the state, jailed major political opponents, especially those wealthy enough to have independent bases of power – or worse. Putin didn’t invent autocracy and he’s certainly not the worst autocrat the world has ever seen. But he is an almost textbook embodiment autocracy, complete with his own mid-range early 21st century cult of personality. That is one version of leadership. But it’s more like domination. It’s not one that anyone in a democracy or someone who seeks to lead a democracy should see anything to compliment in or as a model of leadership to emulate. Joseph Stalin or Augusto Pinochet weren’t just great leaders who got too leadery. They were autocrats, albeit with different death tolls. There’s a difference.