The world of Homer's The Iliad is greatly different from ours today. Technology, attitudes, and society have changed vastly in the thousand plus years between today and the Trojan War. However, the need for wise, sane leaders has always and will always remain constant. In The Iliad, there are two types of leaders. Commanders of armies, such as Agamemnon and Hector, need to be fierce in battle and be able to rouse troops; they need to know as much as they can about the opposing armies. Others provide wisdom and advice, such as Nestor and Priam. Their fighting days are past, and their job is to advise the new commanders by drawing from their experience.
The crisis of the Trojan war seems insignificant when compared with the problems our world faces today. Multiple wars, climate change, a crashing economy and extreme poverty are all problems that should be dealt with. An article in Newsweek magazine offers insight on the kind of leader the US needs to elect in the upcoming election. The author writes that the US needs a leader who has a defined view of the world and will learn from the mistakes and triumphs of history. In other words, leaders should be judged on whether they use the past to solve current problems rather than how much the know about the world. The US needs a Nestor, rather than an Agamemnon, to deal with the problems that America faces.
On the whole, this article presents a unique and interesting view of the presidential election. While it does neglect to talk about those problems that are simply too new to have a precedent, such as the ethical issue of electronic spying or improved weapons, it does a fairly good job of outlining what can be learned from history and why the current administration has failed to correct or alleviate some of these problems. Overall, it was a worthwhile read.

Works Cited

Haass, Richard N. "Who Cares Where Spain Is?" Newsweek 29 Sept. 2008: 39.

Hello!

This is Emily's EE10 reading blog for quarter 1. First quarter posts will be on newspaper & magazine articles, short stories, essays or websites. Assuming I don't forget my passward, I should be able to post all year.