That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
21–30 of 61 posts
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#22That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
But governments should be about stability, resilience and steady progress, and not optimizing for superb efficiency at the cost of being extremely unstable.
Edit: Also to be clear, the dictator in question would be a fairy tale person. As such we could add a requirement for dragons, that would be cool.
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#23That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
Nearly every extant democracy, even those with constitutional monarchs, is a strong counterpoint to your claim.
>It may be said that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" but not if the man believes in and is led by absolute truth
The problem with the 'philosopher king' is that it's a Platonic ideal, and never really present in reality.
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#24That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
And that's still the problem. If you get the one perfect person - and if they remain the perfect person - then your approach works. But people who are good enough, and will remain good enough, are in really short supply, so the odds are stacked against your approach.
And if you have a bad person, an unwise person, a selfish person, or a lazy person, your approach is catastrophic. So the rest of us don't want to go there...
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#25Now as Akihito abdicates, the whispers of great power conflicts are starting again. Old alliances and coalitions that have kept the peace for 70 years are being questioned. Nationalism is rising throughout the world. I hope the new Emperor’s reign will be just as peaceful as his father’s, but I am pessimistic.
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#26That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
Sure, a benevolent, supremely intelligent and incorruptible dictator would be the best leader for any country. But governments should be about stability, resilience and steady progress, and not optimizing for superb efficiency at the cost of being extremely unstable. Edit: Also to be clear, the dictator in question would be a fairy tale person. As such we could add a requirement for dragons, that would be cool.
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#27That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
The Yamato dynasty in Japan is the longest-lived political system on record, period. Historically, many emperors left governing to their subordinates; in some cases, there were even civil wars, but their longevity suggests an advantage to this approach.
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#28That's sad. In my observation of governments, if they do not have a single strong leader at the very top who answers to no one but serves everyone, then those who do govern will be so scattered in their plans and opinions that the government will be rendered almost completely ineffective at fulfilling its primary duties. A single strong leader at the top is needed, someone with courage and a strong resolve, and a cle…
Which one? Because there's 17 of them. (I count 17 kings of France named Louis, since Louis 17 never reigned or anything)
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sounds like a pretty good gig. How do I apply?
I mean he basically begged to be fired, so it’s probably not all that much fun. They sacrifice any semblance of normalcy and have an endless calendar of ceremonies and events. Emperor Akihito acquitted himself pretty well in the job, and most people in Japan seem to be either indifferent to the royals or appreciate their focus on peace and calm and continuity. They’re a pretty boring royal family, which means they’re…
This is rather different compared to the constitutional monarchies that are common in Europe: it's hard to imagine any major political party (even the hard-right parties) arguing against the monarch if the monarch is suggesting a more liberal position.
Re: Emperor Akihito: Japanese monarch declares historic abdication
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sounds like a pretty good gig. How do I apply?
Hey thanks for your interest but right now we're looking for people with 800+ years in lineage and 8 years of WebAssembly experience.