We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technology or

Hear, O seeker of wisdom, the voice of Thomas Friedman, who gazed upon the councils of power and spoke with piercing clarity: “We are led by lawyers who do not understand either technology or balance sheets.” This utterance is no idle complaint but a lament of an age where the makers of laws fail to comprehend the engines of the modern world. For in these words lies a warning: when those who govern are blind to the tools and treasures that shape society, the people stumble in the darkness of misrule.

The meaning of this teaching is profound. Lawyers, trained in the craft of words, arguments, and statutes, are skilled at interpreting tradition and precedent. Yet the age we inhabit is not built only on law—it is forged in the furnaces of technology and measured on the ledgers of balance sheets. Without knowledge of innovation or the discipline of finance, leaders may pass laws that hinder growth, waste resources, or ignore the forces reshaping the destiny of nations. Friedman laments that those entrusted with the helm of government often lack the vision to steer in the storm of modernity.

Consider the tale of the Industrial Revolution. In the 19th century, machines, steam engines, and factories transformed economies and lives. Yet many rulers and parliaments, trained in law or tradition but blind to the pulse of invention, failed to understand what was unfolding. They clung to old ways, taxing and restricting rather than guiding and channeling the new powers. The result was turmoil—workers exploited, wealth concentrated, societies shaken—until at last, reformers who grasped both machines and money reshaped the laws to fit the age. Thus we see that ignorance of technology and economics breeds chaos.

In our own age, behold the rise of the internet, of artificial intelligence, of global markets. These forces are as mighty as the rivers and the winds of old, yet too often leaders treat them as curiosities, or worse, as nuisances. They legislate without comprehension, seeking to govern engines they do not understand. Meanwhile, the stewards of corporations and the inventors in their workshops surge forward, unchecked or misunderstood. The gap between law and reality widens, and the people, caught between innovation and ignorance, suffer the consequences.

Mark this well, O listener: the failure of leaders to grasp the realities of finance and technology is not merely a personal shortcoming; it is a peril to entire nations. For if those in power do not understand the tools of wealth creation, they cannot ensure prosperity. If they do not comprehend the forces of technology, they cannot protect citizens from harm nor harness invention for the common good. A ruler without knowledge is like a captain who cannot read the stars—he may shout commands, but the ship will drift to ruin.

Let this be the lesson: leadership must be rooted not only in the art of argument, but in the knowledge of the age. The wise citizen must demand of rulers not only eloquence, but literacy in the engines that drive the world. And each of us, in our own lives, must learn as well—to understand not only our craft but the greater forces of technology and economics that surround us. For ignorance is no excuse when the fate of generations depends upon wisdom.

Therefore, O child of tomorrow, heed Friedman’s warning. Seek leaders who understand both innovation and finance, who can weave the law together with the realities of the marketplace and the frontiers of science. And in yourself, cultivate curiosity, that you may never be ruled by ignorance, nor misled by those who speak well but know little. For only when wisdom is joined with power can nations prosper, and only when understanding guides law can justice endure.

Thus, Thomas Friedman’s words stand as both rebuke and prophecy: if we are led by those who understand neither technology nor balance sheets, we are like a people guided by blind shepherds. But if we demand knowledge with leadership, then we may yet walk into a future where law, finance, and invention march together in harmony.