The unseemly veneration of political leaders

I am not an American, nor a citizen of any of the major countries of the world… but I have visited, stayed, taught, and held leadership positions in a number of them.

I respect the country of my birth- no I do not love my country (even though I donned a uniform and fought like many others in so-called preservation of it). I do not understand how one deems a country to be loveable. I love my wife, my children…

And so? Your point pray do tell dear sir!

Leaders of countries, politicians (yes presidents/prime ministers and similar ilk) are employees of a country. They are placed in positions of power by the people. Hence the people being their employers. Nothing more nothing less!

Yet I read too often of politicians who are viewed in glowing terms, even revered! What nonsense!

It was Harry S. Truman 33^rd President of the USA who apparently said the following: “Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician and I’ll show you a crook.”

How do we manage to speak of country leaders almost in the same tone as that of the Mother Teresa’s/Mahatma Ghandi’s/or perhaps even Martin Luther King? They are certainly not altruistic, self -sacrificing, servant like beings. They are human! Filled with the same foibles as you and I.

It is time we stopped venerating them. The leaders of my country are not truly interested in alleviating the lot of the poor (even if their speeches say so)- or raising the living standards of all, or making the access to medical practices easier for all. They are in power to stay in power and to ride generally roughshod over anyone who stands in their way.

Make a country great again! Was any country ever great? Oh yes perhaps once Rome was… but that was then.