Shrinking Presidents
Sir - Aaron David Miller (‘Why greatness eludes Obama’ Feb/March) lays out a cogent argument for the absence of ‘greatness’ in our political leaders, but ends up emphasising less their abilities than the lack of the right environment; it is not the absence of great individuals, but of dire events in America’s recent history. I might argue that, at least in part, this has been because either our leaders have not let matters deteriorate as in the past (the Great Depression v the 2008 downturn), or because America and Americans are now more resilient.
Given the rising complexity, faster reaction speeds and plethora of communications channels today, the job is also perhaps getting harder. It could be that today’s circumstances require a different type of leader.
