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Statesman




A statesman is usually a Politician or other notable figure of State who has had a long and respected career in politics at national and international level. As a term of respect, it is left to supporters or commentators to use the term; no politician worthy of being called a statesman would describe themselves as one.

When a politician retires, he is often referred to as an ''elder statesman'' by his supporters.

"Statesmanship" is the practice of deliberately avoiding an opportunity for short-term partisan political gain in favour of a benefit for the nation as a whole. For example, if a government passed a law which through its unpopularity caused them to lose the next election, but later that law was seen to be good for the country, this would eventually be seen as an act of great statesmanship; the leader of such a government could be described as "statesmanlike".

Many peace processes around the world have succeeded, or made progress, because the opposing leaders have been willing to show this kind of statesmanship, by giving up their own territory, power or weapons for the sake of peace.


QUOTES

  • Aristotle -- "What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain Moral Character in his fellow Citizen s, namely a disposition to Virtue and the performance of virtuous Action s."

  • Harry S. Truman -- "A politician is a man who understands government. A statesman is a politician who's been dead for 15 years."

  • Henry Kissinger -- "The statesman's duty is to bridge the gap between experience and vision."

  • Milton Friedman -- "One man's Opportunism is another man's statesmanship."

  • Otto Von Bismarck -- “I consider even a victorious war as an evil, from which statesmanship must endeavor to spare nations.”

  • Vijay Shankar -- “A politician thinks about the next election while a statesman thinks about the next generation.”