How's this for a twist? Which four non-American leaders would you enshrine on this 37th iteration of Mt. Rushmore? Though none of my choices were without flaws, each one deserves veneration for their significant impact.
1.) Winston Churchill: Although he could be wrongheaded - think of his posture toward an independent India - Churchill's leadership during WWII still inspires.
2.) Mikhail Gorbachev: Considering his political career coincided with the zenith of the Cold War, Gorbachev's dismantling of the USSR - and the subsequent easing of tensions with the US - earns him a spot on my mountain.
3.) Nelson Mandela: Truth and reconciliation. If you'd been imprisoned as long as Mandela was, would you have spent the remainder of your life building a political legacy on those words?
4.) Anwar Sadat: Like other visionaries, Sadat paid the ultimate price for swimming against the tide. As hopeless as the Mideast can feel at times, had Sadat never lived, envision what it might be like today.
And on your mountain? Although Gandhi is noticeably missing from mine, his absence is a technicality because he never held political office, elected or otherwise. Maybe a future Mt. Rushmore?
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
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