Political power is often temporary and illusory. A sonnet by English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1818 captures this very well. Ozymandias is based on the life of Pharaoh Rameses 11 (1279-1213 BCE). When he died, an 8m-high statue was built in his memory.
It is apparent the pharaoh had exercised huge power and authority in his lifetime, but what Shelley viewed was but a shadow of that former glory.
"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert … Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies,whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, sneer of cold command.
The poem ends:
"And on the pedestal these words appear:
My name is Ozymandius, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."
How apt those words are. In the end, no matter who or where leaders come from, they will all be enveloped by the sands of time, and in the case of Ozymandius, forgotten forever. Failure by politicians to exercise sound judgement and observe ethical requirements can quickly curtail careers, as evidenced over recent months in the New Zealand Parliament. In January of this year Jacinda Ardern suddenly and for many unexpectedly resigned as prime minister, departing from Parliament several months later. A new leader was chosen and the process moved on. In life as in politics, no-one is irreplaceable.
In non-democracies, leaders can rule for lengthy periods but inevitably in time their tenures too will end. The most humane and the most malevolent of leaders will each leave a legacy.
Some leaders’ lives are cruelly cut short as was the case with President John Kennedy. In a brief time however, he engendered the nation with a youthful vitality and sense of optimism. Some rare leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela transcended local and national boundaries to reach an international audience with messages that were truly universal. Through their own selflessness and courage they were able to influence and effect massive political and social changes that we have all been the beneficiaries of. They made what appeared impossible, possible. Unlike Ozymandius, they were not motivated by power or vanity.
There is no perfect leader. They are fallible like all of us. But in an age of considerable political polarisation, I offer these thoughts on what qualities a very good leader might possess. Somebody who listens carefully, reflects deeply, possesses humility but above all exhibits a strong sense of what can unite and bind the nation for the benefit of all its citizens.
Judge Benjamin Cardozo was a justice in the United States Supreme Court. He once said "The final cause of law is the welfare of society".
There is every reason why this should also be the guiding principle in politics. Temporary though political power is, if properly applied, all the citizens of the nation should be able to flourish.
— Joss Miller is a retired Dunedin lawyer.
