Tariq Saeedi
“Power is nomadic. It is migratory,” he said.
It sounded like homespun wisdom but somehow it made sense in a roundabout way.
“How so,” I asked.
“It wants to expend itself. It always wants to deplete itself. This is in the nature of power,” he said.
His voice had gained the signature grainy texture that always masked his reluctance to continue the conversation.
I pushed nonetheless.
“Is there any merit in power beyond its ability to give some hard-to-maintain satisfaction?” I asked.
He said, “There is merit in power but there is wisdom in knowing when not to use it.”
Then he referred to Roosevelt’s aphorism: “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far”.
“Roosevelt was not issuing some kind of threat to the world at large,” he said. “He was sounding a word of caution to his successors who may inherit a big tick and could be tempted to use it without deep reflection.” /// nCa, 8 April 2025