Pantokrator, part 1

20th century pop culture brought us Superman, Spiderman and other superheroes, men who single-handedly resolved (fictional) crises of any type, always ending up restoring the rule of law. Sadly, these heroes with unusual, benign abilities were absent on the contemporary political stage.

Certainly, the last century saw the emergence of formidably powerful political and military leaders, but with few exceptions these men went down in history as peerless in terms of the cruelty they exhibited, their matchless greed for power - and their chilling skills at despotic, tyrannical rule. Early in their careers, they scaled their various obstacles to power, and having clung to it at all costs, at long last they exited history with mind-boggling devastation and misery as their primary legacy. Their names were Mao, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini - to name the major villains.

But since we humans seem never to truly learn from past mistakes and failed social experiments, we still yearn longingly for the ebullient strong men of this world to embrace the challenge of sorting out the financial, social and spiritual debacles we frequently get entangled in. Russians in particular seem historically inclined to turn a blind eye on the potential for terrible abuse of power that supreme, unchallenged power holds.

THE CRY FOR THE STRONG AND MIGHTY

Vladimir Putin's and Dimitri Medvedev's Russia is no mature democracy as yet, and with Stalin as the third most popular Russian of all times (he was, in fact, Georgian), we are again reminded that when our problems become too complicated for mental comfort, we cry out for the strong men with the deceptively simplistic solutions; men who promise to heal the wounds from national humiliation; men who delight in being portrayed as 'fathers', 'Führers' or faultless pioneers.

It matters disturbingly little that our ways appear to have been progressively refined, and that institutions have been established that secure multilateral collaboration e.g. in post-war Europe. The recent conflict in what was once Yugoslavia is evidence that as soon as we surrender the reins, whole-sale and without reservation, to the morally defunct - we are once again on course for horrifying destruction.

EVEN THE BEST OF INTENTIONS........

The war in the Balkans wasn't just another war. It was also a poignant reminder that our leaders at any level in society, have to possess not only oratorical and tactical mastery, but also a keen awareness of the dangers that power entails. History is rife with examples of the best of intentions turning sour, of grand projects gone frightfully awry, because - at some point - these supreme rulers (and their associates) lost not their visions, but their moral compasses:

The Christian church of the Middle Ages, the Crusaders, kings and emperors alle set out to build new and improved societies, but ended up masters of torture, genocide and self-serving policies. We're deeply mired in trouble when our leaders cannot discern their own flawed human nature. We're at the brink of self-destructing when our leaders become convinced they cannot possibly err.

So, there is not one worthy of shouldering absolute power? Yes, there is. There is a worthy candidate. There is a Pantokrator.