Elements of Leadership

A column by Clifford May appeared 08.23 cataloguing Italy's contributions to the efforts fighting fundamentalist terrorists. Among the notables, PM Berlusconi's administration believes in spreading democracy to the Middle East, and that Iraq is a battle worth fighting. Fabrizio Quattrocchi, executed by al-Zaqawi's cell last April, is an Italian hero remembered for his courage. This should sound familiar, as it seems that Berlusconi and the Italian people are philosophically similiar to Bush and the United States in these matters, if not others. In Nigeria, Andy Ike Ezeani recently wrote that Berlusconi "occupies a prominent area of cynicism in almost every Italian mind," but "when ever he needs even public endorsement to get through to his goal, there will be enough Italians to get him through." Again, there is a parallel to Bush's relationship with the American people. It could be argued that both Bush and Berlusconi act in ways that do not enjoy majority support, but that raises an important question: should a leader act as the majority would, or in the best interests of the majority? Furthermore, can those two things ever be different? With the American election this fall and the Italian election in 2006, this fundemental element of leadership is a point of belief that can not be ignored.