Put yourself in the shoes of a world leader. Is it possible to serve yourself, and serve your country at the same time? Alistair Darling, of all people, had us pondering that over the weekend. Yesterday morning, Mr. Darling appeared on the Andrew Marr Show, as well as being the subject of articles and commentary pieces in the Sunday newspapers. The ex-Chancellor's memoirs are to be published this week, and the story the press are picking up on is the fundamental disagreement between Darling and Gordon Brown on how to deal with the financial crisis in 2008.
I’m afraid to say I was asleep at 9am yesterday morning, but Richard, the Price of Kings director, wasn’t slacking. This morning he had some interesting insight in to how current events seem to bleed in to putting the Price of Kings films together.
“There’s a spiel from Shimon Peres on leadership that was destined for the cutting room floor but somehow it's resonating with Alistair Darling's insight in to Gordon Brown’s leadership in the Sunday papers. The ex-Chancellor points out that Brown spent too much time politicking and handling the press as opposed to running the country, executing a vision, serving his nation - doing the things a true leader should be doing.
Peres cuts to the heart of the matter:"All your life, the question is whether to be or to do.”
"Do you want to be something or do something - the difference is between ego and purpose. Do you want to be a rock star or do you love the process of writing and performing songs?
"It led me to thinking how on earth is an electorate supposed to figure out who to vote for. Blair was a simple choice between a dysfunctional, tired Conservative government and fresh blood with a vision - we never got to vote for Gordon. Was he a be-er rather than a do-er?"
