If there is ever a time that calls for immediate action and the highest level of decision-making, it is war. This is why the qualities of a president should be like that of an expert general in wartime. Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese general that commanded over one hundred thousand soldiers in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty of Spring and Autumn (771 to 403 BC). In his well-renowned treatise of war, Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that a commander should stand for virtues of wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, courage, and strictness. Transferring this over to qualities of a president, it means a president should be wise, sincere, benevolent, brave, and strict. It would be ideal for a president to have all of these virtues though it would be unlikely and unrealistic
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If we were to vote for a president that stands for these values, we would be in for a golden age.
Wisdom is a cardinal virtue, one that has been sought after by even the highest figures of society since its first exposure. The Greeks defined wisdom as the understanding of causes, it is a virtue they looked up to greatly. Indeed, wisdom has proven its value all throughout history. One great example of a wise ruler was King Solomon, son of David, who is mentioned in several ancient texts like the Holy Bible, the Qur’an, and the Talmund. Solomon was praised highly as a king because of the wisdom he claimed to have received from God. His most famous story is the one people call the “Judgement of Solomon”. The story is about two women who claim to be the mother of a child. Solomon commanded that the child be cut in two to solve the conflict but one of the women renounced her claim, saying she preferred the child live than be killed. Solomon declared …show more content…
Nations everywhere are facing huge problems like the refugee crisis and terrorism. The US can get away with insignificant neutral actions right now, but ultimately, the leader elected into office will need to tackle these problems. One very relevant issue in Europe is the refugee crisis. After letting refugees into their country Europeans face a worryingly sharp increase in rape crimes and terrorist attacks. It is no joke. In just one evening, police in Hamburg receive over 300 complaints from women and over 200 reports of sexual assault (Kern, 2016). These are the hard times in which a good leader shines brightest. There are many ways to deal with the crisis; France recently stated that despite and the terrorist threats and attacks they will continue to accept refugees. Whether or not that was the right decision to make, only time will tell, but Francois Hollande has shown bravery, sincerity, strictness, and perhaps even wisdom by making that decision, values Sun Tzu greatly admired. The other big and relevant issue many nations battle is terrorism, particularly Isis. As president of the US, would it be best to try to achieve a peaceful solution with terrorists, or is that a waste of resources when war may be a better alternative? Potential presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump believe war against Isis is the best option (Oliphant, 2016).
If we were to vote for a president that stands for these values, we would be in for a golden age.
Wisdom is a cardinal virtue, one that has been sought after by even the highest figures of society since its first exposure. The Greeks defined wisdom as the understanding of causes, it is a virtue they looked up to greatly. Indeed, wisdom has proven its value all throughout history. One great example of a wise ruler was King Solomon, son of David, who is mentioned in several ancient texts like the Holy Bible, the Qur’an, and the Talmund. Solomon was praised highly as a king because of the wisdom he claimed to have received from God. His most famous story is the one people call the “Judgement of Solomon”. The story is about two women who claim to be the mother of a child. Solomon commanded that the child be cut in two to solve the conflict but one of the women renounced her claim, saying she preferred the child live than be killed. Solomon declared …show more content…
Nations everywhere are facing huge problems like the refugee crisis and terrorism. The US can get away with insignificant neutral actions right now, but ultimately, the leader elected into office will need to tackle these problems. One very relevant issue in Europe is the refugee crisis. After letting refugees into their country Europeans face a worryingly sharp increase in rape crimes and terrorist attacks. It is no joke. In just one evening, police in Hamburg receive over 300 complaints from women and over 200 reports of sexual assault (Kern, 2016). These are the hard times in which a good leader shines brightest. There are many ways to deal with the crisis; France recently stated that despite and the terrorist threats and attacks they will continue to accept refugees. Whether or not that was the right decision to make, only time will tell, but Francois Hollande has shown bravery, sincerity, strictness, and perhaps even wisdom by making that decision, values Sun Tzu greatly admired. The other big and relevant issue many nations battle is terrorism, particularly Isis. As president of the US, would it be best to try to achieve a peaceful solution with terrorists, or is that a waste of resources when war may be a better alternative? Potential presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump believe war against Isis is the best option (Oliphant, 2016).