Peru’s Young President Balances on the High Wire
By Donella Meadows
–February 26,1987–
In the circus of politics, some national leaders are strong-men, some are clowns. Very few are high-wire artists, taking on the most challenging jobs and struggling for balance, while the world holds its breath. One of those is Alan Garcia, the 37-year-old President of Peru.
I ran into my Peruvian friend Francisco Sagasti in August 1985, a month [...]
Why Would Anyone Want to Play Starpower
By Donella Meadows
–December 4, 2011–
When leaders in socialist countries wonder why their people are disaffected, when my conservative friends tell me how lazy and undeserving the poor are, when my liberal friends tell me how greedy and scheming the rich are, I wish they could all play Starpower.
Starpower is a deceptively simple classroom game. I have played it all over [...]
Cory Aquino – A New Kind of Leader
By Donella Meadows
–July 31, 1986–
“Why have the media in your country started saying negative things about Cory Aquino?” asked my friend Maria, visiting from the Philippines. “They say she is weak, but I think I have never before seen such strength. Don’t people see that Cory is a new kind of leader?”
What do you mean, a new kind of leader?
“She [...]
All the White House Is a Stage
By Donella Meadows
–July 17, 1986–
Will Rogers said it’s not what we DON’T KNOW that will hurt us; it’s what we KNOW that ain’t so. Politics these days is more than usually full of things we know that ain’t so. My nominee for the person who has contributed most to the rising level of national delusion is Ronald Reagan.
The President is [...]
My Candidate for the Next President of the United States
By Donella Meadows
–January 22, 1986–
Up here in New Hampshire what we call Silly Season has started early. Jack Kemp, Pete DuPont, and Gary Hart have been going around shaking hands. We’re likely to run into George Bush at the shopping center, Sam Nunn at the town hall, Richard Gephardt at the downtown diner. They are being paraded around our rockbound [...]
