Just My Thoughts

We all have a task, a daunting yet rewarding task –to elect the next leader of our country. We are quite making a scene as this election has never been this close and a phenomenal hullabaloo. Amidst this noise and uproar, I’m wondering. I wonder if these people, from all walks of life, from different political colors and fences, are thinking. Thinking of what the next leader should do or can do, if elected. I’m not trying to persuade you to elect a certain candidate, but at least let’s do our share of homework by being discerning and do our country a favor, for our country deserves nothing but the best. In electing a leader, especially for a mid-sized country (90 million citizens, and growing), we should always look for competence. Competence is more than just a skill and is bounded by a certain standard and that standard is the ability to keep promises with the most minimum lead time. A leader’s actions should match what his commitments are. Our leader should be a VISIONARY. It is creating the possibility of an unpredictable future that becomes a ground-of-being in the present. If a politician lacks that, then he should not be elected. Our leader should also possess a GREAT inter-personal Relations. This is not limited to his party affiliations, but also to his political opponents. A great leader must know how to respect his friends and love his political enemies. If he fails in that category, then it’s hard to even give an iota of trust and doesn’t deserve to be called a ‘Leader’. Ethics and Values also play an important role in leadership, as these would guide him/her in initiating change and espouse his plans for our country.

Is a mudslinger or a gossip monger a great leader? A leader, yes. But an effective one, highly unlikely. A gossip monger should not be elected because he doesn’t really have something in his plate than pure gossips and pure smug of ideas thrown at other people - and it's a major turn off by the way. The common trait of a mudslinger is about the absence of a concrete, specific and desirable platform to move this country forward that's why rabble rousing is his way of gaining massive attention and mileage. (It's easier to throw some mud than explain your platforms.)

In a country such as ours, an indecisive leader coupled with a long withstanding economic turmoil is a perfect concoction of a looming catastrophe. Again, competence is important because a competent leader's decisions, although unpopular are usually right. If a leader's decisions depend solely on people's approval and his fear of being vilified is enormous, then that's a tell tale sign that we're in for a weak state, short of becoming a failed state. If a leader decides based on emotions, then it shows how incompetent he is. Decisions have to be made with prudence and careful thinking (that's discernment!)and that is to be objective than being nonchalant. We need a leader who trusts his decisions and who stands by his decision. Not a master of flip-flopping who is easily dictated by the pulse of whim and emotional surges.

I’m trying to be as apolitical as possible, but all the signs are heading to one direction WE MUST ELECT a COMPETENT LEADER. It all depends on how you view what competence is.