Politician vs. Statesman

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Politician and statesman are two terms that are used to define a political individual, and usually collaborate in their meanings. Many times, these two works can be used as synonyms when describing an individual, but they do have their subtle differences. Both a politician and a statesman are defined as “man who is a leader in national or international affairs” or “a man who is a respected leader in a given field” (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=statesman / http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=politician).

Although these two words are termed the same, they do have their differences in their actual meanings. A politician is someone who attempts to gain personal advantages, most likely by scheming or maneuvering. Also, a politician belongs to a political party, and most likely is far more interested in the betterment of their party then that of the nation in whole (http://www.unique-design.net/library/word/politic.html).

On the other hand, a statesman is a person who, even if they do belong to a political party, can put their party obligations aside and do what is in the best interest of the country. In a long-term perspective, statesmen who put the needs of their country before their personal or party needs will better benefit out nation (http://www.bartleby.com/61/71/S0717100.html).

George Washington: I would label George Washington as a statesman because during his time of leadership of our country...

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