Om politiker och affärsmän

The Economist har på sin hemsida en högst läsvärd intervju med president Obama. I veckans nummer av tidskriften kommenteras den del av intervjun om handlar om Obamas (dåliga) relation med näringslivet. Den artikeln avslutas med ett helt suveränt citat:

Businessmen have a different set of delusions from politicians, and need, therefore, different handling. They are, however, much milder than politicians, at the same time allured and terrified by the glare of publicity, easily persuaded to be “patriots”, perplexed, bemused, indeed terrified, yet only too anxious to take a cheerful view, vain perhaps but very unsure of themselves, pathetically responsive to a kind word. You could do anything you liked with them, if you would treat them (even the big ones), not as wolves or tigers, but as domestic animals by nature, even though they have been badly brought up and not trained as you would wish. It is a mistake to think that they are more immoral than politicians. If you work them into the surly, obstinate, terrified mood, of which domestic animals, wrongly handled, are so capable, the nation’s burdens will not get carried to market; and in the end public opinion will veer their way.

Detta ytterligt insiktsfulla råd kom från den store ekonomen John Maynard Keynes och det finns i ett privatbrev till president Franklin Roosevelt.

The Economist konstaterar att Obama skulle kunna minska klyftan till näringslivet. Jag är dock inte säker på att Obama, hur smart han än må vara, har förmågan att lyssna till så goda råd som FDR fick.