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A Few Eyes on Zambia
We might be forgiven for ignoring the rest of the world the last couple of weeks, while our would-be future leaders spoke their minds on the state of our union, belittled each other, and whispered sweet nothings about the glittering promise of America into our collective ears. But despite all of the scandal surrounding McCain and Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, the speeches, the delegates and all of the hullabaloo, the world continues to turn, and things outside of America continue to happen that warrant our attention. One item on that list was brought to my attention by the always-noteworthy obituary page in The Economist.
The obit in question eulogizes former Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, that country's third president, who led from 2002 until his death last month. The article describes Mwanawasa's leadership as steady, aboveboard and, most of all, honest. Rather than stir people into a populist frenzy with grand theatrics and spectacle, Mwanawasa chose substance over style. And while his addresses were not the most entertaining, he brought stability to his country. As ZImbabwe's northern neighbour, this is no small feat.
The article suggests that while Mr. Mwanawasa's persona may have been bland ("He lacked charisma, wit or style..."), his leadership was just what his country, and the rest of his region for that matter, required. Africa has seen far more than its share of firebrand populists, who after stirring up voters' emotions to win elections, go on to do nothing but line their own pockets once in office, or worse. The message is quite a clear one: while style tends to win elections, substance is what makes change happen.
And while I'm loathe to bring it back to this (this was supposed to be a post about African politics, not American), this is a message we'd do well to heed here at home, especially at a time like this. After listening to two weeks of speeches, promises and rhetoric, after all the scrutiny of our candidates' characters, likeability and moral fiber, after being whipped into a populist frenzy ourselves, what do we really know about the men (and woman) who seek to lead our nation? The truth is, I fear, very little. Talk is just that; and we won't know how adept Obama or McCain or Palin or Biden will be at getting things done until that day in November when two of them take up their posts in the White House. The only thing that's certain is that Americans--for good or ill--will not vote for a boring candidate.
America is not Zambia, clearly. But maybe there's something to be learned from Mr. Mwanawasa's leadership about politics, promises and the tricky act of bringing change to a nation.