Let me do it!

How often have you been out with friends and colleagues, and criticized the situation and heads of states in foreign countries? How often have you come up with much better ideas of how to rule a nation, than the presidents, prime ministers and leaders in charge. I have, lots of times!

Or perhaps you just relax when you’re off and with friends and never bother to talk of much else than football, movies, girls, boys, clothing, make up, and other less conflictual themes? I absolutely understand! Some of you however, talk about all these issues, even about world’s many wars and endless conflicts. At least I do, if not so much about make-up and clothing!

You can do it!

Then I have recently been rethinking the state of affairs on leadership within foreign countries! Now I say to my friends and colleagues: – If you’re criticizing the leadership in China, Russia, and the US and other mega states, just go there and try to rule it yourself.

You’ll soon see that there is more than one man or woman at the steering wheel in each place, influencing the direction. And there are also extremely many aspects of the nation’s situation to take into consideration, both at home and in foreign affairs.

Switching Obama with Putin.

Perhaps we should ask Obama or the following US President to go to Russia, and try taking leadership there. Yes, switch Obama with Putin, and let Putin try to lead America and Americas interests for four years. Watch when he comes to Congress for the first time with a new bill or proposal.

China is easy isn’t it?

What about China then, a country that is often target of our critic? Would you like trying to lead China for a period. Lead 1.381 billion people to better conditions, more democracy and freedom, with less riots and revolutions?

Or should we perhaps also here too, leave it to professional leaders or heads of states as in the European Union? Let Merkel, Hollande, and Mario Renzi, together with the President of EU’s commission Jean-Claude Juncker, and the President of the EU’s Council, Donald Tusk, and President of the EU’s Parliament, Martin Schulz, switch with Xi Jinping, President of China.

Yes, let Chinas General Secretary of the Central Committee, President Xi Jinping and his men get EU on track again.

We need a solution for the crisis in EU instantly! Wouldn’t that be a fine experience, and a great success? At least it would be an interesting experience in switching roles, and taking the position of the other. By the way. taking the position of the other, is often the starting point of empathy and mutual understanding.

A difference that makes a difference

We must admit there is a great difference between ruling countries with a population from 6 to 20 million people, than ruling for example Russia with 144,221,341 million people (population of Crimea extracted). Russia have six other ethnicities exceeding 1 million than the 86% Russians. We have Tatars (3.9%), Ukrainians (1.4%), Bashkir(1.1%), Chuvash(1%), Chechens(1%) and Armenians(0.9%). In total, 160 different ethnic groups live within the Russian Federation’s borders.

In the US we have a population of 322,762,018 according to the National Census Bureau. About 77% of theses millions are white or white Hispanic/ Latinos. 17 % are colored Hispanic/Latinos, and 13,2% are Afro-Americans.

The European Union EU, has a population of 507,416,607 million. These are inhabitants of 28 different national states with many different ethnic groups, culture and languages. Now the problems are piling up in EU. Many nations consider leaving the Union like Britain.

Small is manageable

The Scandinavian countries on the other hand are better off even if two of them are members of EU. They have had a great success both in economy and peacemaking. There are little inner conflicts, relatively small differences between rich and poor, no civil wars or major riots and no war since 1945 and World War 2. There are of course many other reasons for that. One important reason is that these nations are very small in population. Norway for example has only 5 million 280 thousand people (2016), Denmark 5 million 693 thousand people(2016) and Sweden 9 million 862 thousand inhabitants.

Little people and much nature in Scandinavia( here Norway and the tongue of the Troll)

Compared to the US , Russia, China, and for example India, Scandinavian countries are piece of cake to rule. Here, I don’t mean easy actually. But as a leader you can take a much faster grip of the situation. What you do or implement as head of these small nations, will have much more immediate effect on the country and its inhabitants compared to for example Russia, the US, and China.

No revolutions

Besides, there has been no critical revolutions in Scandinavia. Very often such necessary revolutions though, end in more of the same kind of oppressing regime, but on the opposite side of the political scale.

This is so I think because the culture embedded in the political system and nation, after many years of mismanagement, is much more difficult to eradicate than a destructive tyrant, dictator or political party. The “business as usual,” somewhat resides in the system, even if the ideas and visions for the nation after the revolutions intents to be really good for the state and the people.

But in Scandinavia then, there has been mostly peace for 150 years. That is more enough time to build up a solid democracy based on parliamentary open debates and almost welfare for everyone.

Besides that, people in Scandinavia are not deeply traumatized by losses from different wars or genocides. There are few really poor. All in all the population remain rather cooperative, and they don’t feel persecuted or threatened to death by their leaders if they are a minority. Therefore, they seldom act out in violent riots or start civil war.

(Norwegian children in stead of military , are marching up Oslo’s main street with song and brassband to celebrate the Norwegian constitution on 17. mai.)

When I was President for a day in Russia

Before I changed views on this I had a daydream. I was President of the Russian Republic: On day one, I took immediate action to stop the war in Ukraina. My Prime Minister and other advisors hurried up to me, when I called our Military Chef in Command.

(A real person, (not me),  that stole his way into the Russian presidents Office )

– Excuse us, they shouted, – but are you mad Mr. President! As President you should be the first to remember; We are not at war with Ukraina, those are Russian citizens of the Ukrainian republic until 1991 a part of our proud USSR! We only protect the Russian Ukrainian population there from militant fascist Ukrainian soldiers.

-What, I exclaimed, – you say protect? The counsellors around me would nod their head looking at me. – Take a good look at the map, they say pointing at a big screen on the wall in my office. – This is a map from 1990 of our Soviet United States that year. – The very big Soviet republic, a somewhat stable counterpart to all that.

Now my experienced counsellors are pointing at Europe, and the US. – But what happens in 1991? they ask me. – Look at the map, they scream! – All these 14 balancing states we lost! And what is the situation today, they ask me in a reproaching manner. – Now NATO is eating its way into our earlier domains. We are terrified! Are you going to put us in a trap Mr. President?

(From a recent Nato excercise)

– But NATO is nice, I say. – They just want to preserve peace and protect their members. Then my counselors and prime minister are already read in the face. They go up from the conference table and shout at me: – Peace and love me in the ass, you ignorant western cowboy of a President! – NATO and the US will isolate and dominate us and force us to be underdogs in the Game of the World.

-Would you like to expose a weakened Russian bear, for the fierce American Eagle, or the powerful Chinese Koala?, they ask me ….        I am standing there more or less dumbfounded.

.The American Eagle

The terrified “Russian Bear” The “Chinese Koala”

These, my closest advisors and mentors make me feel very stupid. They remind me of my responsibility for the 144 million people in Russia and the worlds political balance.

At that very moment in my Russian presidency, I arrest myself longing for American Presidency instead. Obama, Clinton and Trump

That openness of debate over there, and the many wonderful reforms I could implement. Rising the poor up into the middle class, to mention one, and reestablishing this middle class as it was before the 1980s.

I would grant full health security for everyone. Free top Universities for students. ….Suddenly my head drop. I see before me the American Congress as a very big stop sign or brake for every new reform. Except then for tax cuts for the already rich.

A major  internal emergency and challenge

Meanwhile my servant, the Russian Prime Minister has taken grip of the orange telephone. Everybody in the room are alerted and on their toes. It turns out we have a dramatic situation with the Chechens and some other minorities fighting for their causes. Now there is a mass riot near Moscow, that can unbalance the whole republic.

 

At this time at 08.30 AM in the Kremlin, I already need my first double vodka. Na zdorovie!

Where could we rule with success?

You and I could try similar leaderships in both China and the US without more success than me in Russia. Fear of beeing outsmarted and weak, inner conflicts, ambitious advisors, internal power struggles. Demonstration of power both inside the goverment and towards the world, are only a few obstacles on the road to be a good and respected and even peaceful national leader.  Benevolence is also only one important but small part of the complex psychology of leading a nation.

In 1988 Leonard Cohen sang;  “First we take Manhattan and then we take Berlin”.  Now in 2016 I am not in the mood to take any more leadership neither in Berlin, Brussels or Bejing.  Let alone Manhattan! I only need to return to our “oval room” at the bar with my friends.

Then at second thought I regret my retirement.  There are actually some states you and I absolutely could manage to rule better than those in charge. And I am no longer joking with serious matters.

This time I seriously mean Syria and some neighboring states. When I look at the video of the 6 year old injured Syrian boy I get sick of what leaders are willing to afflict their people and children with. Little Syrian Alan Kurdi, dead at the Beach

Injured 6 year old boy rescued by the helicopter

Syria, had only 23 million people in 2011, before the civil war stared. Now they are 17 million.

When you as head of a state are willing to risk the lives of every citizen that does not belong to your own religious sect, you are a big danger for that nation. When you don’t accept your people’s right to demonstrate and show their opinion, or try to stop risky protests on a constructive manner you’re not mature.

If you also refuse to go into dialogue with opponents, protests will expand and get louder. If you then shoot at, or kill and bomb your citizens that criticize your government, you will stir up a much more serious riot. And this might start an avalanche of violent protests that many foreign interests and political and religious forces will take part in.

This would have been much easier in the very start of the events in 2012. Tunisia succeeded! They got peacefully out of the riots to more Democracy. But even in the difficult predicament today in Syria, 4 years later in 2016, I think you and I would manage the situation.

Because with the pictures of injured and killed children in our heads, we would with tempered wrath in our bodies, be cutting through the whole abyss of problems. We would contact the powerful states outside Syria, that still on both sides, keep the deadly war going. And we would invite both parties to try to live their lives in some of our Syrian cities, if they did not come to an end of the conflict.

What if they would still hesitate to negotiate Peace? We would bring the leaders on both sides to a hospital in Aleppo were dead children were lying in the emergency. We would kindly ask them to lift up and carry those 2-7 year old children in their arms, and bring them to their parents in the waiting room.Father in deep grief after his childrens death

Conclusion

It’s naive to believe that dangerous national conflicts can be easily solved when the population is too big. If there are also many ethnic groups inside the country to take into consideration, change will take time and conflicts on the way to more democracy will be many. That goes for Russia, and China. It goes for even the US and EU after what I call “Financeocraty” more and more have replaced real democracy.

As for the Scandinavian countries, these states are much smaller and easier to navigate. Besides that, democracy have had a long and very peaceful time to develop up there.

At last: Any good ideas about how to develop healthy leadership and constitutions in very big nations, will be specially welcomed! And I soon hope to establish a new page on this website, where different kinds of suggestions from the readers will be represented.

                                                           with YOU