“Innumerable wars originate entirely in private passions; in the attachments, enmities, interests, hopes, and fears of leading individuals in the communities of which they are members.” Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #6. History is replete with evidence that Hamilton was absolutely right, and that the whole notion that national leaders behave as they do on the basis of “foreign policy” or “national interest” has little foundation. For example, why did John F. Kennedy act as he did during the Cuban Missile Crisis? It was not because he thought the U.S. was in additional danger from Russian nukes in Cuba. ‘What difference does it make?’ he said at the time, ‘They’ve got enough to blow us up anyway.’ Uppermost on his mind was the impending 1962 mid-term elections. The stakes were high for his presidency. The Republicans were taunting him for ‘weakness’ over communist control of Cuba, so he had to make a crisis and show strength. In other words, it was all about the politics - the determination of leaders to hold onto power. It always is, especially for Vladimir Putin.
I don't mean to confine it to electoral politics. My point is that leaders of any stripe, whether democrats or autocrats, act in their own political interests as they perceive them.
The "Cockburn Rule": there's no such thing as "POLICY" - foreign, dmestic monetary or any - as the only policy of elected politicians is to be re-elected
I don't mean to confine it to electoral politics. My point is that leaders of any stripe, whether democrats or autocrats, act in their own political interests as they perceive them.
The "Cockburn Rule": there's no such thing as "POLICY" - foreign, dmestic monetary or any - as the only policy of elected politicians is to be re-elected
Undoubtedly a constant truth. And equally true for autocrats and those democratically elected.