Where are they? Those unique individuals who without knowing it or asking for it became leaders of people and nations are now gone and a new one must arise. Moses and Joshua led a nation out of bondage to a land of plenty, from slavery to a new life. While I personally think the trip took too long, their leadership was apparently outstanding and has been recognized down thru the ages.
Hannibal led an army over the Alps, a trip no one thought was possible. Though the objective ultimately failed, he led them with all of the logistics problems thru miserable conditions to arrive at a place to confront the most powerful army in the known world and came very close to defeating the mighty Romans.
Gandhi lead a nation of multitudes in poverty and submissiveness into a political power that could not be ignored or controlled by outside forces. The British simply could no longer maintain any sovereignty over the Indian subjects.
FDR took a nation that was on its knees, suffering in depression, near starvation in some regions, overwhelmed by drought and dust storms and getting food from soup lines and led them back to become one of the greatest nations ever known - One that could protect and defend it's citizens, it's neighbors and allies in times of natural disaster and the aggression of war.
Martin Luther King Jr. took a group of people who were racially and regionally oppressed and led them on a nonviolent trip that began in the deep south and led to the steps of the White House. That trip may not be over, but it has covered a lot of ground. And yes, it pissed off a lot of people and a lot of things were done wrong by both sides along the path but it was basically a social change without too much bloodshed. I do believe that particular social change also created the Southern wing of the Republican Party. Those proud Southern Democrats whose ancestors once held the slaves and later just held political power and fear until the 1960s just went underground. They emerged a few elections later as the new Republicans of the South. Much to their dismay the facade is all too transparent. Most people can figure out if it walks, looks and quacks like a duck, it is probably one of the new Southern Republicans.
Why did the people follow Moses, Joshua, Hannibal, Gandhi, FDR and MLK? Because they were leaders. They were leaders when they were children and when they were old.
George Bush leads about 30% of this nation. He could lead them if they were blindfolded. It doesn't take any intelligence to follow - cattle and lemmings do it all the time. It takes intelligence to know WHO to follow.
Bush was too enthralled with "My Pet Goat" on Sept. 11, 2001 and with having Christmas in Crawford on Dec.25, 2004 to lead anybody or anything. Now here we are again! Another nuisance, something in New Orleans and the Gulf to spoil his vacation. "I guess I have to cut it short from 30 to 29 days and go to Washington." Going from Texas to D.C. when the disaster is in New Orleans would be as stupid as going from a Florida grade school to Shreveport, LA, and Omaha, NE, when the disaster is in New York.........Wait a minute??????????
Bush could have led a military convoy a few hundred miles into 6 to 10 feet of water and he could have done it on Monday. After all, he led an army across a desert to freedom to Baghdad. He could have freed the oppressed people in New Orleans. He talked about it, but he didn't do it. He just simply did not do it! He did not do anything - he is paralyzed, frozen with fear or lack of the ability to do anything, and it is not his fault. Just ask the lemmings, the 30% who will help him declare victory over New Orleans when the water subsides and the bodies are carried away. Those who will applaud while he stands in Jackson Square and pins medals on the incompetent officials who managed this mess. This same 30% will want to consider putting his face of Mt. Rushmore and maybe erecting a statue of him beside Jackson. Those evangelicals who did not want the multitude of unwashed in their buildings (it is difficult for me to call them a church) because they were filthy and smelled bad - they might want to put a fourth cross out on the lawn. One depicting Bush being persecuted by the bound-for-Hell left-wingers.
Folks, this whole problem might be simple. Just announce that they are performing abortions and about to unplug some white woman's life support system in New Orleans. There will be a march of the right-to-life people to New Orleans that could be unparalleled. When they arrive, just hand them a bucket to carry out water, a litter to carry victims and a shovel to bury the dead and repair the levees. Surely they can do something besides bitch.................
Just a side note, the loss of life in New Orleans, as horrible as it is and will become, will probably pale to that of Baghdad when we declare victory and pull all forces out and leave the Iraqis to their own devices.
A government leader that cannot or will not protect, preserve and rescue it's citizens deserves neither allegiance nor obedience.
Let's stop criticizing President Bush. Just put him in front of a camera and tell him it's on, leave him there for the duration of his term and let some leader (elected or unelected) get us out of these messes.