4 ms·

Generalising a bit, it seems to me that in Asia a lot of political leaders come from engineering, whereas in the US and Europe many come from the humanities, es

by mohawk 11y ago

Generalising a bit, it seems to me that in Asia a lot of political leaders come from engineering, whereas in the US and Europe many come from the humanities, especially law.

venomsnake 11y ago
I have indeed noticed a tendency in the West lawmakers to believe that when human and nature laws collide, human laws should win ...
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
  Politically, humanity's physical environment is considered exterior and stable, but the social environment is almost infinitely plastic and easily influenced by persuasion and rhetoric. So human politics is far more obviously powerful than science. It's been a good-enough approximation for most of history, even though in practice it's completely wrong. Politics is badly in need of a Copernican revolution which puts the physical world at the centre of politics, not the periphery.
mercurial 11y ago
Angela Merkel has a Phd in chemistry. But many (most?) European leaders are actually technocrats.
- Luc 11y ago
  The previous prime minister of Belgium has a chemistry PhD too. He went straight into politics out of university, though.
- sn41 11y ago
  Again a counterexample. The previous Indian Prime Minister was a Ph D in economics (and a very accomplished economist at that) [1] The current prime minister was the son of a tea-seller, and not very highly educated.[2] Who do most think is a better prime minister? The second. I believe faith in technocrats is misplaced, and wisdom does not equal technical competence. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh [2] http://time.com/3823155/narendra-modi-2015-time-100/ http://time.com/3823155/narendra-modi-2015-time-100/
  - IkmoIkmo 11y ago
    He was a bit late to the game, and not quite as educated as Singh, but he did eventually end up doing his Masters. Anyway, you raise a fair point with a solid counterexample.
- lmz 11y ago
  Lady Thatcher also had a Chemistry degree and worked for a while in Industry.
- signal11 11y ago
  Margaret Thatcher (somewhat controversial, I know) had a 2nd-class BS Honours in Chemistry from Oxford, and apparently the first UK Prime Minister with a science degree. [source: Wikipedia]
- mohawk 11y ago
  Merkel is the exception to the rule, though. Here is an article on the composition of the German parliament: http://www.dw.de/few-entrepreneurs-in-new-german-parliament/a-17170809 http://www.dw.de/few-entrepreneurs-in-new-german-parliament/... More than half are administrators (probably civil servants i think), teachers, lawyers.
rffn 11y ago
That law is a humanity is an interesting lingual twist.
- marc13 11y ago
  good
mediascreen 11y ago
I wish we were lucky enough to have a leader with a degree. The current Swedish prime minister worked as a welder and dropped out half way to his degree in social work.

by mohawk 11y ago

Generalising a bit, it seems to me that in Asia a lot of political leaders come from engineering, whereas in the US and Europe many come from the humanities, especially law.

venomsnake 11y ago

I have indeed noticed a tendency in the West lawmakers to believe that when human and nature laws collide, human laws should win ...

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
TheOtherHobbes 11y ago
Politically, humanity's physical environment is considered exterior and stable, but the social environment is almost infinitely plastic and easily influenced by persuasion and rhetoric. So human politics is far more obviously powerful than science. It's been a good-enough approximation for most of history, even though in practice it's completely wrong. Politics is badly in need of a Copernican revolution which puts the physical world at the centre of politics, not the periphery.

mercurial 11y ago

Angela Merkel has a Phd in chemistry. But many (most?) European leaders are actually technocrats.

Luc 11y ago
The previous prime minister of Belgium has a chemistry PhD too. He went straight into politics out of university, though.
sn41 11y ago
Again a counterexample. The previous Indian Prime Minister was a Ph D in economics (and a very accomplished economist at that) [1] The current prime minister was the son of a tea-seller, and not very highly educated.[2] Who do most think is a better prime minister? The second. I believe faith in technocrats is misplaced, and wisdom does not equal technical competence. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singh [2] http://time.com/3823155/narendra-modi-2015-time-100/ http://time.com/3823155/narendra-modi-2015-time-100/
- IkmoIkmo 11y ago
  He was a bit late to the game, and not quite as educated as Singh, but he did eventually end up doing his Masters. Anyway, you raise a fair point with a solid counterexample.
lmz 11y ago
Lady Thatcher also had a Chemistry degree and worked for a while in Industry.
signal11 11y ago
Margaret Thatcher (somewhat controversial, I know) had a 2nd-class BS Honours in Chemistry from Oxford, and apparently the first UK Prime Minister with a science degree. [source: Wikipedia]
mohawk 11y ago
Merkel is the exception to the rule, though. Here is an article on the composition of the German parliament: http://www.dw.de/few-entrepreneurs-in-new-german-parliament/a-17170809 http://www.dw.de/few-entrepreneurs-in-new-german-parliament/... More than half are administrators (probably civil servants i think), teachers, lawyers.

rffn 11y ago

That law is a humanity is an interesting lingual twist.

marc13 11y ago
good

mediascreen 11y ago

I wish we were lucky enough to have a leader with a degree. The current Swedish prime minister worked as a welder and dropped out half way to his degree in social work.