It is said that capital is fearful and that one who possesses money possesses fear as well. For this reason, we see that businessmen are marked by their caution and that they do not invest a cent unless they are certain returns will be exponential and all the guarantees are in place.
This is how those with capital are generally perceived, and we believe that this perception is contestable and that exceptions render it relative, as some men and women in business who were adventurous and daring became more successful than those who would not make moves unless the results had been carefully calculated and studied beforehand.
In the world of money and business, it is vital to conduct thorough examinations of any project, including political conditions, which have become among the primary issues drawing or hindering investment.
Do the rules of the world of business and money apply to the world of politics as well? Is fear a positive factor for political behavior? If fear is an indication of businessmen’s sobriety and evidence of their prudence, does being fearful point to the same qualities in politicians?
We believe that the world of politics is one of bravery par excellence. Politicians make decisions on vital issues swiftly and deal with the present in a manner that demands they take the appropriate decision without delay. For this reason, politicians should be distinguished for their nimbleness, wisdom, intelligence, boldness, charisma, and, especially, courage.
Politicians could be in need of experience whether they are young or old, but intelligence demands that they seek help from those experienced in matters of state, have held high-level administrative positions within them, and have witnessed major events that granted them precious experience and expertise. In other words, political experience and expertise can be compensated for by making good choices regard the team that will run the state and the advisory staff. However, courage is a quality that the politician must possess, and it cannot be compensated for or acquired from the market.
If we were to look over the experience of the world’s towering politicians who had been in power between the Second World War and today, for example, we would find that it is the brave and charismatic among them who engraved their names in our memories. This allows us to deduce that good and successful politicians, those who leave their mark on history, are brave politicians.
Of course, we have not overlooked the fact that difficulties and hurdles are what make bravery a necessity. Moreover, it would be a grave mistake for those who lack the courage needed to make decisions and take responsibility for their mistakes to become entangled in politics and move up to its upper echelons where decisions are made.
According to this view, which links politics and bravery and distinguishes between bravery and impulsivity, it seems to us that politicians in the Arab world need bravery more than those in European countries need it, for example. We are facing domestic and external challenges simultaneously; we are still undergoing the process of transitioning to modernity and waging battles for social change that are sometimes bloody and harsh.
Also, during this political juncture, during which populism is popular, politicians are brave when they amend this populism and sometimes confront it when there is no other option, so that the populous itself does not find itself in dark and daunting scenarios with time.
Courage helps politicians become genuine patriots, listen to the voice of reason, and take decisions that benefit the people even if their benefits are not immediately apparent. When the solution is to reduce state spending on bankrupt institutions, politicians should take decisions that deal with reality bravely, open the door to studied privatization, and grant bankrupt institutions the chance to be invigorated by private capital.
Furthermore, when the state is burdened with debt and salaries of its employees, freezing recruitment becomes the best solution because downplaying recruitment’s effects and disruptive investments are a form of slow state suicide.
In today’s Arab and Islamic countries, harsh decisions affecting our daily lives are becoming unavoidable. Here, bravery’s importance for stopping the hemorrhage and bringing rationality becomes evident.
Of course, making necessary decisions, regardless of how strongly they are opposed, is not the only sign of courage. Indeed, brave politicians are those who are ready to make shockwaves if need be; however, at the same time, they also offer alternatives because the role of politicians is finding solutions and addressing crises and problems.
What we’re noticing, in our countries, is that the majority of the ruling elites’ policies are characterized by realism when it comes to crises that lie outside their border, which indicates that political realism is more entrenched in foreign policy-making than it is in domestic political practice. This leads us to infer that Arab politicians are accounting for immediate popular reactions and postponing confrontation with the public until further notice. The fact is that honest political practice lies in making brave decisions and addressing the repercussions of harsh decisions on those negatively affected; this is political responsibility.
