Those who shape the future. "These politicians have no ideas for the future," laments one. "They don't need to," replies the other. "They just need to ensure that everyday life runs smoothly." "That's all well and good," says the complainer, "but who has the ideas, the visions for the future? I don't mean the ones that are a burden, but those that point forward. Wherever that may be." "Ideas of this kind often come from the fringes," says the other, "which is not always a good thing. But philosophers and artists also come from the outside. From the edges. Politicians," he says, "they correct things. Often their own mistakes. Or sometimes not even those. They are paramedics. They apply band-aids and dressings. They rarely have new ideas. Or only very seldom. Politics is an institution, you see? Politicians have settled in. They feel comfortable in what they do. They want to preserve that. For the most part. They are engaged in preservation. And they are convinced of their plans. They seek approval for this. They probe their surroundings, conduct surveys. And since people describe the immediate situation because it is close at hand and because they are asked about it, the immediate situation persists. For a long time. They are not thinkers. "Then we should rather elect thinkers," says the complainer. "That would create a similar problem," says the other. "Thinkers may think, but they cannot govern.".