There is cheering going on for a local executive or two, or even three, who, at a time of general lack of vigor, empathy, and practicality on the part of the national government, stand out to the extent of being rapped on the knuckles by officials in the national government. But:
while it is understandable to admire them it does not mean they are fit for national office already; moreso, it should not and cannot be confused with their pointing the way to anything. All it does is reveal the absolute shortcomings of the national leadership. It’s dangerous:
It keeps a myopic though understandable, considering the forced shutdown then absence of humane solutions we’re ezperiencing, focus on short and near term problems while ignoring the many larger things that have fallen by the wayside. A mayor may be able and willing to draft...
tricycles: but a mayor cannot formulate, implement and accomplish a province-, region-, much less nation-wide strategy for grappling with the virus, preventing the collapse of the overall economy, or marshal resources on a scale addressing the hopes and fears of an entire nation.
The adulation for mayoral action points to the desperation and despair, the clamor for action but disguises the big problem that put a mayoral mentality in national executive leadership which dumped national problem-solving on local leaders who, however able, will be swamped.
We need —deserve— a national persective and cohesion in the national leadership to match the true grit of local leaders stepping up: they need national counterparts to also do the heavy lifting; there are national officials trying but no one in charge with an overall vision.
