Senior Vs Younger Politicians: Serving the People or Public Relations Stunt?

Youth is associated with taking risks, brazenness and hope; whereas, being a Senior is associated with wisdom, patience and faith. Who would people naturally vote for? In the past, the answer was clear; but today it is quite opaque because there are several factors involved. Nevertheless, one can’t deny today’s tendency to choose younger politicians, younger leaders – does this mean the world is devoid of wisdom, patience and faith or are we talking about something else?

Hope derives from the mind. It’s a desire after a need has been recognised. - in Hope and Faith (link)

Young politicians are usually appealing to the eye and they have Kgs of charisma to spread around, however we tend to suspect of their motivations and to make assumptions: they are not mature enough, they are ideologues, they are only seeking self-gain, the limelight et cetera, et cetera…are these assumptions correct?

At the moment we have a couple of young people at the helm of countries:

• Justin Trudeau: (Canada, 46 yrs old) Prime Minister. Unfortunately, this political leader never misses an opportunity to make a fool of himself (ex: “I want to grow Canada’s economy from the heart outwards”) and yet his team has managed to keep Canada somewhat stable if we believe the data (link).  
• Emmanuel Macron: (France, 41 yrs old) President. He followed the Obama Electoral Campaign strategy (i.e. concoct an image of himself that doesn’t exactly reflect the truth) and now the mask is dropping. Nevertheless, so far he has kept the French economy on a growing path (albeit a slow one). 
• Sebastian Kurz: (Austria, 32 yrs old) Chancellor. So far so good – the Austrian economy continues to grow steadily, but only next year will we learn about how much of Mr Kurz’s policies will contribute to further prosperity. 
• Luigi di Maio: (Italy, 32 yrs old) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development. It is yet too soon to evaluate, as the new government took office very recently; however, the new Italian administration’s tough stance (especially regarding immigration) has already began to bear fruits: the EU now knows it may no longer dictate on Italy. 
• Leo Varadkar: (Republic of Ireland, 39 yrs old) Prime Minister. Even though he is a right winger, he has been issuing some immature statements regarding Brexit, forcing one critic to say “A wiser man would have acted as peacemaker, constructively helping both sides forge a historic deal in all our interests, including those of his country and its wonderful people.” Ouch…

Then we have another group of young people as either members of Government or as leaders of Political Parties:

• Pablo Casado: (Spain, 37 yrs old) new Leader of the People’s Party (PP). The only thing I remember of him is the scandal he’s involved in (something to do with the Master's Degree he claimed to have). 
• Celso Ismael Correia: (Mozambique, 40 yrs old) Minister of Land, Environment and Rural Development. This businessman/politician has an obscure background and his record raises a lot of questions. But we will leave them for later on. 
• Naftali Bennett: (Israel, 46 yrs old) Minister of Education and leader of The Jewish Home Party. He doesn’t mince his words, he’s patriotic, driven, and in a couple more years he will be great PM Material. 
• Ayalet Shaked: (Israel, 42 yrs old) Minister of Justice. Intelligent, driven with a deep love for Israel, wise in the way she is reforming the Justice System. Voices are pushing her to become the next PM, but does she have enough support? Besides, my observations tell me she needs more experience. 
• Catarina Martins: (Portugal, 44 yrs old) Leader of the Left-Bloc Party (far-left). Sheds too many crocodile tears (she’s a failed actress) and defends a nefarious ideology that has failed on all counts. Yet she managed to keep the Socialist Government wrapped around her finger for more than 24 months: kudos. 

There is also room for the Future Leaders and Political Wannabes, such as:

• Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman: (Saudi Arabia, 32 yrs old) a future leader with a vision and understanding of what the Middle East can become if Arab policies are changed. Unfortunately, his ailing father resists his alternative and modern views, thus making the same old mistakes that fostered nothing but hatred, slaughter and underdevelopment of the Arab People.  
• Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge: (UK, 37 yrs old) a future leader that is yet to reveal himself. One looks at him and still sees Baby Wills in shorts. He will have to choose which kind of Royal he wants to be: a Humpty-Dumpty Charity Lover or a Real Leader Holding the Bull by the Horns. 
• Hugo Soares: (Portugal, 35 yrs old) the future PM of Portugal. Not only he has charisma but also the brains and he’s not afraid of showing it. We suspect everybody has noticed it and that’s why people in his Party seek to undermine him. 
• Mariana Mortágua: (Portugal, 32 yrs old) a political wannabe. The author of the Envy Tax (as we call it), taxing homes worth +€600,000. She has a soft voice and a fake politeness that reminds us of the saying “beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing”. 
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: (US, 28 yrs old) another political wannabe that unfortunately became a nominee for Congress. I say unfortunately because she embodies the stereotype of Millennials: ignorant, no culture, thriving on obsolete slogans and defending causes (deemed hype) without bothering to learn their history. 

Would you guys endorse any of these young people? Not all of them are shallow but some of them have two things in common, from what has been observed: they lack patience and sometimes lack of purpose in their verbal hastiness (since it doesn’t produce any tangible effect and in the end they end up making a fool of themselves).

Faith derives from the very depths of the soul. It transcends the mind. – idem

A seasoned political leader is far more methodical. Perhaps because experience has taught him a thing or two and so he will know what works best to achieve his goals – regardless of how crazy he may seem. His wisdom leads him through a quicker path to success (even if the path may be crooked and corrupted in some cases).

Nota Bene

Older politicians who are corrupt and void of values are excluded from this post. Also excluded are the senior politicians who refuse to learn from mistakes done in the past.

The electorate seems to trust older politicians more – perhaps because they remind them of their parents, and consequentially of figures of authority – however, it is curious that somehow the strategy has been changed to put forward younger politicians to challenge these seasoned leaders (even though most of Western Societies are increasingly old – i.e. they don’t make babies). So why the change?

• Are they, in an ever increasingly shallow society, trying to create a Political Arena filled with eye-candy?
• Are they trying to tell us it is easier to control the youth (i.e. marionettes)?
• Are they trying to encourage the people to make more babies (i.e. if they see the Youth climbing to the top then they will believe their children can get there too)?
• Does the New Generation bring a new and better vision to Societies? 

Whatever the strategy may be, it is advisable to hold on to the wisest within the most Senior Generations because we will always need their advice. Remember, they have lived longer therefore they know what works and what doesn’t. Their experience is most valuable, even if we may not agree with their ideology.

Hierarchies are celestial. In hell all are equal. -  Nicolás Gómez Dávila

In the Military and in the Intelligence Community, Hierarchy is extremely important. The young start from below and they can only reach the top after going from stage to stage; that is, upon the presentation of exceptional work or through compounded knowledge (i.e. experience). That is the way to maintain crucial values like honour, respectability, respect for rules and order.

When we look at the political arena today, we have to ask whether it is a serious venue to advance the People’s welfare or a huge Public Relations Machine. Unless a young person is tremendously exceptional and respectful (or the Heir to a Royal House), it must be said it is not natural to have young people dictating the designs of countries; and anything that runs against nature is to be viewed with suspicion…

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