The Leader is Like a Mirror

What does the state of our leadership reveal about us and the world we live in?

So the talk of the town, tabloids and er… Twitterverse (is that still a word in these post-Elon days?!) is the embarrassing debate between the ultra-arrogant and smarmy Trump and the frail and incompetent Biden.

I’ve read tons of comments and outcry of “oh no is this the best we can produce”, to the fact-checking police going into overdrive, to losing confidence in Biden demanding that he is replaced.

I heard this years ago but it’s always stayed with me. People get the leaders they deserve. The leader is a mirror to the people.

Let’s look deeper. Biden is the staunch Zionist who is ancient to the point of decrepit living on nothing more than the past glories of his military service. Trump is the uber-capitalist, extremely toxic narcissist who deceives and misleads almost pathologically at this point.

If that doesn’t paint an (admittedly stereotypical) view of the US on the world stage, I don’t know what does. Both are seemingly oblivious to America’s increasing impotence and irrelevance on the world stage - all whilst racking up the national debt figures faster than a viral TikTok.

But hey, at least they’re both great at golf. (Apparently)

We’re no different, here in the UK.

To less global fanfare obviously, smug Rishi Sunak and sleazy Kier Starmer also had their debates recently. God, how dreary? As George Galloway often states, Sunak and Starmer are nothing but different cheeks of the same backside. If they are the answer, I don’t even want to know what the question was.

Both again showcase Britain’s problem. Sunak is majorly out of touch with the people - the class divide and elitism apparent (whilst dressed up in perfect token gesture brown skin) whilst Starmer is a snakey sell-out who stands for nothing, performs U-turns like they are going out of business and will do whatever it takes to get the win - particularly follow orders to his paymasters no matter what is asked. He reminds me of Prime Minister Callow in the first episode of Black Mirror, if you know, you know.

Don’t get me started on Farage and the other loons.

What do they reflect about the state of Britain on the world stage? Are these really representative of 60-odd million of us?

The answer is sadly, yes, like it or not. Perhaps we have always had this superior, holier-than-thou elitist mentality, even with our increasingly diminishing status, all while following US interests loyally and blindly. “But of course, it’s all the immigrants’ fault.”

When asking an Islamic scholar a while back why the same old corrupt leaders keep getting re-elected or retained in Muslim countries he answered very simply, a leader is a reflection of its people. If you have a leader like Nawaz Sharif, it’s because there’s a bit of Nawaz Sharif in the people. If you have a leader like Trump, it’s because there’s a bit of Trump in the people.

If the Muslim world complains about MBS - perhaps he reflects who and what Saudi actually are. Dressed up in Muslim garb but really yearning for Western acceptance and entertainment.

Look at Putin and Xi. They appear strong and focused and as a result their countries have really recovered and thrived since.

Look at India’s Modi. Racist and tribal to the core - and the fact he has won for a third term recently, really showcases what generally lies internally in the people.

Netanyahu… no comment, ‘nuff said.

Imran Khan was an outlier, an anomaly - and hence why he wasn’t able to stay the course. Or perhaps he represented a big subsection of the population, the hopeful youth. Shehbaz Sharif is much more representative of the corruption that has plagued Pakistan from day dot. Remember the micro and macro paradigm - it’s easy to see patterns at the macro level when it’s rampant at the micro level. Corruption in cricket is one such example.

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said, “When trust is lost, then wait for the Hour.” Abu Huraira said, “How is the trust lost, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, “When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour.” - Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6131

Looking at this current crop of crazy candidates, the Hour is probably nigh.

Maybe like our supreme leaders, we should improve our golf handicap while we wait.