10th
“My career in politics is over. I have no ambition for worldly glory. From now on, I want only the sweet pleasures of family, prayer, and peace.”
“Abd el-Kader was one of those men who, in Shakespeare’s words, had greatness thrust upon him.”
This is such a beautiful piece of exposition. Why is it that some of the most great and able men are the ones that least want the job or the least expected? I guess the appetite for power easily turns to avarice or some other corrupted human excess. It is also refreshing to hear that some people do not rely on simple ideology to make decisions on how to act; or maybe, it is the contrary, and that the only doctrine of Abd el-Kader was ideology— but not of extremism or fundamentalism, but of the notions of compassion and mercy. Aren’t those considered ideals as well, and the aggregate of that type of thinking an ideology? I guess nowadays to say someone’s thinking is based on ideology tends to insinuate that they are shortsighted and blindly stubborn. But, perhaps that is just how contemporary society [mis]construes and transforms the word and not what ideology could/does mean. In any case, at least in the way he is portrayed, he seems quite the great man. and i guess that brings hope to a more and more polarized world. (or at least the news makes it seem like the nation, if not world?, is more and more polarized.— i guess in times of want, people become more closed up, as resources become scarce and some certain few are scapegoated.. and more polarization. but anyway i’m getting ahead of/beside myself..)
(via rstadler)
