Кларендон о Монке

And it was the King's great happiness that he never had it in his purpose to serve him till it fell to be in his power, and indeed till he had nothing else in his power to do. If he had resolved it sooner, he had been destroyed himself; the whole machine being so infinitely above his strength, that it could be only moved by a divine hand; and it is glory enough to his memory, that he was instrumental in bringing those mighty things to pass, which he had neither wisdom to foresee, nor courage to attempt, nor understanding to contrive.

https://books.google.com/books?id=G8OGAAAAIAAJ

Так ли все было на самом деле с Монком или нет - неважно, но вот эта формула -

"it is glory enough to his memory, that he was instrumental in bringing those mighty things to pass, which he had neither wisdom to foresee, nor courage to attempt, nor understanding to contrive"

- представляется мне лучшим описанием той роли, которую чаще всего реально играли политические лидеры, чьи имена обычно ассоциируются с великими преобразованиями.

В частности, именно эта формула точнее всего описывает мое отношение к Горбачеву.