In what has sometimes been called the world’s first rap song, Bob Dylan rhymes “Lookin’ for a new fool / Don’t follow leaders / Watch the Parkin’ meters”. Coupled with the first rap, Dylan – never shy to break new ground – produced one of the first music videos, with him standing in an alley near the Savoy Hotel with signs. As the song goes on, he flips the signs with words taken from the lyrics as they appear in the accompanying song. The lyrics spring to my mind as we approach the end of the Tory leadership contest which is also, of course, the race to become Prime Minister.
This is not a political analysis. I am rather thinking about the image politicians of today (re)present. In all honesty, surveying the landscape of potential (and indeed recent PMs), how many can say they see a leader they trust wholeheartedly? How many of us feel inspired by the policies our leaders offer us? Who believes the bold claims of a brighter future in light of the cold winter that awaits us with surging energy bills? Revelation upon revelation of scandals and shattered promises doesn’t directly instil confidence in the country’s leadership.
It hasn’t always been this way. Even until fairly recently politicians truly were statesmen. Harold MacMillan and Margaret Thatcher stood for very different visions of society (or non-society in the latter’s case), but they nevertheless commanded respect from both peers and foes alike. Enoch Powell and Tony Benn could perhaps not be more different politically, yet they made common cause over their dislike of what would become the EU and acted civilly towards each other. Go back even further and we see an entirely different set of ideals underpinning government.
In the Middle Ages, there was more social cohesion than there is today. It is common to hear people speak of social division today, most emphatically in America. This is beautifully exemplified in the inauguration of President Trump. While he claimed there were more people in attendance than ever before, his opponents claimed there were fewer than ever! At no point was it possible to speak in moderate terms. The division seems to be broadening across the world. The Middle Ages was rife with war and famine, but there was a unifying worldview in large parts of the world which has been called Christendom. It was this world which produced one of the greatest leaders: St Louis, King of France.
St Louis IX reigned in what has come to be known as a golden age, economically and politically. His rule inspired fellow leaders across Europe, and he introduced reforms which are still in force today. Among other things, he introduced the presumption of innocence to criminal procedures, and it was his legal mind which caused leaders around Europe to invite him to solve disputes in their own territories. He also fought for what he believed in, joining in on the Seventh and Eight Crusades which ended first in his capture and later in death.
A king such as Louis was able to instil confidence in his subjects and gain respect from his ruling peers in Europe. Assessing the calibre of European leaders today and scrutinising their ideals, the only unifying principle seems to be the lack of vision. Perhaps there is a new motivating force behind their ambitions: where once there was Christendom, now there is globalisation. But with such a movement, any respect for the particular is sacrificed. Christendom represented a world where the local was cherished and the universal admired. One’s family, village, and land were where the sympathies lay. And yet, knowing that one was part of a larger community entrusted to the care of the Supreme King – Christ Himself – one pertained to a universal order as well. Saints and Kings might seem passé, but we should ask ourselves if bureaucrats and commissioners are so much better.
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