Zealots need not apply

I cringe whenever I hear politicians say they want to be elected to office, because to “want” something implies a degree of ambition and zeal. Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would be willing to do anything to get it? If so, then at one time or another in your life, you have been a zealot.
Politicians, as a general rule, are by their very nature zealots whose ambition is for power, which, in a constitutional republic like the United States of America, exists in elected office.
Historically, U.S. politicians have sought office for a variety of reasons, among them: to advance a political agenda, to establish for themselves a forum to express their views, to achieve position, and to reap the monetary benefits of public service. But no matter how you slice it, what the bottom line comes down to is power.
There is power in pushing and leading a cause or agenda. There is power in standing on a soap box for everyone to see and hear you. There is power with achieving a higher social position. And, there is certainly power with money.
Power is narcissism, pure and simple. It is ego-boosting and self-aggrandizing, period. That is why so many politicians want it. And, as important as we’ve made self-esteem out to be in modern times, it is no wonder. After all, nothing really matters except feeling good about ourselves. If power makes a politician feel good, then so be it.
The trouble is, throughout human history, men and women have sought power with reckless abandon and relentless pursuit. You can trace the rise and fall of many civilizations, both ancient and contemporary, back to the pursuit of power. Rome crumbled from within because of the appetites of the Caesars and their successors. The Mongols collapsed because of power struggles between the Khans. Europe has been plagued with wars since the Dark Ages because of power—the last of which came at a cost of millions of human lives.
As different as their views and circumstances were, Vladimir Lenin and Adolf Hitler were both zealots who sought power. Just look at the results of this zeal: Ninety years of human suffering under communism and fascism, resulting in the deaths of millions. Men like Lenin and Hitler spawned followers, such as Mao Zedong, Pol-Pot, Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat, the Ayetollahs and Shas of Iran, Moamar Ghadaffi, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and yes, even Osama bin Laden. Their appetites for power have been the same, and the results of their power also comparable.
Julius Caesar’s ascension to power was the death of the Roman Republic and hastened the end of ancient Roman civilization.
The First Crusade of England’s King Richard the Lionheart to Israel led to a dozen more just like it and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
Power and its pursuit have historically resulted in human suffering.
But human beings either don’t get this connection or just don’t care.
Closer to home, we see relative human suffering everyday with local economies reaping the consequences of overzealous politicians. Whether it’s a city councilor voting to raise taxes to pay for a state-of-the-art facility, or the President of the United States signing a bill that results in dozens of companies going out of business and thousands of jobs lost, there is a great toll on the human burden to fuel this power.
With great power comes great responsibility, to borrow a phrase.
There is a lot of truth in that.
Unfortunately, many of our elected leaders become so focused on the power that they lose sight of the responsibility that comes with it.
As such, I am not impressed by candidates who say they “want” public office. I am more impressed by candidates that express their interest as a duty and a responsibility, rather than a want or desire. God knows we could use fewer zealots and demagogues in elected office and more level-headed people who have a sense of responsibility and obligation to represent their neighborhoods, communities, districts and country.