Kermit and Leadership: Believing in the Dream

Abstract

First pararaph: Imagine a community of individuals who don’t share a common geographic history, ancestry, or even the same language. They have a broad range of talents and interests, incredibly diverse ideological views, and a wide range of individual needs. Moreover, most are, shall we say, “unresponsive,” to authority, unmotivated by power, uninterested in rules, and unstructured by any hierarchy. In many ways, this group represents both the anarchist ideal and the liberal challenge. Since at least the writings of John Stuart Mill (1806-73), liberal political theory has sought a way to accommodate diverse ideological views while avoiding enforcing any particular way of life. Conversely, anarchists have struggled to find a way to achieve solidarity and accomplish collective goals without resorting to problematic hierarchies or power structures. 1 Organizing and directing pluralistic actors under such conditions is definitely a challenge, to say the least.