issue167范文
It is impossible for an effective political leader to tell the truth all the time. Complete honesty is not a useful virtue for a politician.
Is complete honesty a useful virtue in politics? The speaker contends that it is not, for the reason that political leaders must sometimes lie to be effective. In order to evaluate this contention it is necessary to examine the nature of politics, and to distinguish between shor-term and long-term effectiveness.
On the one hand are three compelling arguments that a political leader must sometimes be less than truthful in order to be effective in that leadership. The first argument lies in the fact that politics is a game played among politicians-and that to succeed in the game one must use the tools that are part-and-parcel of it. Complete forthrightness is a sign of vulnerability and naivete, neither of which will earn a politician respect among his or her opponents, and which those opponents will use to every advantage against the honest politician.
Secondly, it is crucial to distinguish between misrepresentation of factin other words, lies-and mere political rhetoric. The rhetoric of a successful politician eschews rigorous factual inquiry and indisputable fact while appealing to emotions, ideals, and subjective interpretation and characterizations. Consider, for example, a hypothetical candidate for political office who attacks the incumbent opponent by pointing out only certain portions of that opponents legislative voting record. The candidate might use a vote against a bill eliminating certain incentives for local businesses as dear evidence that the oppoent is anti-business, bad for the economy, or out of touch will what voters want. None of these allegations are outright lies; they are simply the rhetorical cant of the effective plilician.
Thirdly, politics is a business born not only of idealism but also of pragmatism; after all, in order to be effective a politician must gain and hold onto political power, which means winning elections. In my observation some degree of pandering to the electorate and to thoes who might lend financial support in reelection efforts is necessary to maintain that position. Modern politics is replete with candidates who refused to pander, thereby mining their own chance to exercise effective leadership.
Although in the short term being less-than-truthful with the public might serve a political leaders interest in preserving power, would-be political leaders who lack requisite integrity ultimately forfeit their leadership. Consider Richard Nixon, whose leadership seemed born not of ideology but of personal ambition, which bred contempt of the very people who sanctioned his leadership in the first place; the ultimate result was his forfeiture of that leadership. In contrast, Ronald Reagan was a highly effective leader largely because the honestly, and deeply, believed in the core principles that he espoused and advocated during his presidency-and his constituency sensed that genuineness and responded favorably to it. Moreover, certain types of sociopolitical leadership inherently require the utomost integrity and honesty. Consider notable figures such as Gandhi and King, both of whom were eminently effective in leading others to practice the high ethical and moral standards which they themselves advocated. The reason for this is simple: A high standard for ones own personal integrity is a prerequisite for effective moral leadership.
To sum up, I conced that the game of politics calls for a certain measure of posturing and disingenuousness. Yet, at the end of the game, without a countervailing measure of integrity, political game-playing will serve to diminish a political leaders effectiveness perhaps to the point where politician forfeits the game.
国际英语资讯:Putin, Abe promise cooperation amid Russia-Japan territorial disputes
给你讲讲法国最热总统候选人的传奇婚姻
假如你的朋友Mike 明年打算去游览上海迪士尼乐园,请你写一封120词左右的信,介绍一下上海迪士尼,并给出你的建议。
国内英语资讯:China eyes better military relations with the U.S.: spokesman
Dear Tom,How is everything going recently? 短文改错
国内英语资讯:Chinas cargo spacecraft completes in-orbit refueling
UK ranked 15th for school science education, study about seals 英国中学自然科学教育排世界第十五、研究海豹的水中生活
统计表明 自杀是我国青壮年死亡首因
我国将全面推行“河长制”
书面表达:目前,中国已经进入汽车社会,越来越多的汽车正走进寻常百姓家
Last night,I watched TV until nearly 12 O'clock,短文改错
大马士革机场附近发生爆炸
国内英语资讯:China, Cambodia vow to further enhance ties
国内英语资讯:China urges EU to stop interfering in Hong Kong, Macao affairs
所周知,课堂是每个学生实现梦想的地方,然而,有一部分同学并没有很好地利用它。请以How should we make good use of classes?为题,
Often a nickname is a shortened form of a person's name,阅读理解答案
中欧共商“月球村”计划
美国南部和中西部龙卷风洪水造成至少14人丧生
To-do list
The main cause of death and disability in the US阅读理解答案
熬夜越多越不想运动,俗称懒癌晚期
国内英语资讯:Chinas top legislature concludes bi-monthly session
新版5英镑钞票有一个重大语法错误…你发现了吗?
Telltale signs?
特朗普“史上最大力度”税改 被指牺牲中产为富人减税
中国要在朝鲜和美国间做出艰难抉择
《沉默的羔羊》导演乔纳森•戴米去世
6个让自己早起的终极绝招,跟赖床说再见!
国际英语资讯:Pakistan arrests 29 Indian fishermen: officials
美国民调:特朗普、民主党、共和党,谁都不受青睐
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |