FLASH
Shkruar nga Charles Cockell
Defending freedom is not a part-time commitment. The leader of the free world must constantly and unfailingly understand what is at stake and be ready to spur allies into action.
A bloc of democratic countries needs to be led by a prominent nation, which is ready to defend the set of values it claims to be based on. We call it the free world for short, but what we mean is freedom of expression, equality before the law, the rule of law, accountable and elected government, international respect for borders and self-determination.
The list goes on, but the basic principles are very simple to understand. The leader of the free world must be a nation it can rely on, a country that will not roll from day to day as the political tides come and go.
Future historians will be amazed how nearly 3 years after the start of the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky should continue to plead with other countries for support. But what does the leadership of the democratic world mean? I think that 5 are the essential traits, which should be possessed by any nation that aspires to take this role.
Endurance
This trait requires you to follow through on the job so that opponents don't start devising plans and strategies based on the assumption that if they are patient enough, someone will appear who will bow to their ambitions. The inconsistency of the military and strategic aspects, alongside the necessary political variability (one of the strengths of the democratic way of life), is a fatal weakness.
Perseverance may seem synonymous with dedication, but unwavering focus is important. Engagements may come and go, but consistency is the key. An American politician recently said that he no longer has the "appetite" to continue supporting Ukraine.
But defending freedom is not a part-time commitment. The leader of the free world must constantly and unfailingly understand what is at stake and be ready to spur allies into action.
COURAGE
It is about being willing to defend the principles of free countries, and having the clarity to show the world that you are willing to pay a high price to defend them.
cHARACTER
This requires what has been called "institutional tolerance", that is, where political parties do not see each other as rivals to the death. Rather, they gently compete to lead a nation, albeit with different political means and economic objectives, essentially the same goals. Such a people strive for individual freedom, but they possess a clear sense of responsibility for the welfare of the society on which those freedoms are based.
obedience
The deep-rooted but nonetheless reasonable and well-thought-out belief throughout history that societies aim to liberate their people from autocrats, quench the inescapable human thirst for power, and build and respect the political and economic mechanisms to do so , essentially creates the best communities in the world. They stand firm alongside others who aspire to the same.
trust
A nation that is not ashamed to defend the ideas of free countries. To inspire on this matter, it is worth reflecting on the past. We look up to ancient Athens with admiration, not only because of her philosophical achievements, but because of the determination with which she led the first alliance of largely democratic city-states, at least by the standards of antiquity, to oppose the methods autocratic human organization. Over 2,000 years later, we see in Pericles' funeral speech a statement of moral and strategic purpose: "We do good for our neighbors, not out of interest, but out of faith in freedom...".
Today's leadership of the free world
The current period bears similarities to the "little war" of 1938. It seems that many Western countries have not realized that the world is already at war, that the post-World War II order has collapsed, and that there can be no management of escalation to preserve a world that already belongs to history.
What will determine the course of our future are the actions taken now to shape this new world. Our societies may differ, in thoughts and views, but they must be free. And in order to achieve this, the countries that claim to be the bearers of freedom must pursue and display the qualities I mentioned, especially stability.
Note: Charles Cockell is Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh. / Adapted "Pamphlet", from "Kyiv Post".
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