Washington, DC --- Too Casual for Old Georgie Himself?

Do individuals really have power in our "international political economy"? Or does the power lie with great corporations, nations, and governments as a whole? I would argue that individuals can definitely have an influence. That is, some individuals. Presidents, Prime Ministers, the great leaders of the greater industrial countries can certainly be said to hold a good deal of sway. The question, then, of how they should deport themselves is relevant. The modern push, at least in Western countries, seems to be toward the casual. Obama playing basketball, Bush wearing jeans. On the campaign trails find politicians kissing babies and eating at the local barbecue joint. Is this proper? Perhaps not, one scholar would argue.  Ron Chernow, author of a biography of Lincoln honored with the Pulitzer prize last year, has a different view of leadership, and how it is best "pulled off." He writes of Washington's views on leadership, saying that he realized that "They don't need to like you—much less love you—but they need to respect you."

 This was something Washington really understood. "He realized that a leader should be neither too remote nor too familiar." Washington was careful in his dress, precise in his speech, and never too fast to show his emotions. He was undoubtedly a great leader. While his style may not appeal to the current generation it may certainly give us pause for thought. Isn't an alternative to Obama's bowing to the Japanese Emperor needed? Sometimes, a more formal deportment on the international stage might do America good. 

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