Does Absolute Power Corrupt?

"What the world needs now"

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton, 1887) When I took the time to actually reflect on this, to my surprise I came to think that it is fundamentally flawed. No reasonable person seeks to be powerless, to be a victim subject to the discretion of others; to have no control over their own lives and decisions. Most all want to choose their vocation, marriage, associations, ethos, religion, and home where they live, etc…

So others refine this saying, “The love of power corrupts.” Yet this has the same problem. All love to feel empowered. Everyone has “wants” for which they seek the power to obtain. Whether those “wants” are wise, and will bring lasting happiness, or end in misery, is another question entirely. The one who willfully submits to one in authority wishes to feel that it is both their choice, and in that submission they will gain the power to attain some end, either personal or to some benefit of society. The one who submits within a system does not mean he wishes to have no power, influence, or free choice.

All seek power, and in some ways all love power. Perhaps a far better statement is that “Power reveals corruption” or alternatively “Love of power over the free will of others is corruption.” The corruption that power reveals is the use of power to compel others against their will, the desire to exercise tyrannical control of other people to accomplish some objective.

So in this sense we see that both the desire to have power, and the desire to achieve personal gain are not inherently evil. It is the desire to exercise tyrannical power over others in connection with the desire for personal gain (even if one portends it is only for the protection of the less fortunate) that may be fundamentally immoral or dishonest, and which is often evil and destructive to a society. “This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector." (Plato) 

Almost always the manifestation of seeking power in an immoral way involves exercising a form of tyranny, however brutal or petty it may be, over someone else or some other group. Most all actions declared as illegal crimes which are common to societies, are a reflection of this fundamental abuse of power, which can manifest in either a personal or group expression.

Those social systems which mostly easily engender tyranny should be rated poorly in their chance of producing a prosperous and happy society. To try to enforce selflessness, requires a strict application of the verb in this sentence, force. A government that so fundamentally distrusts the common people of the governed, that strict central planning of economies and wealth is required, is in high danger (100%) of eventually falling victim to the corruption which such consolidated power reveals, as well as becoming overburdened with extremely inefficient bureaucracy. Sociopaths gravitate to such central control. History proves that the mytho-poetic idealism of statism only serves to legislate and codify “Power over Others” 

As a microcosm example of this corruption, there was a recent British threatened prosecution (because they were not licensed care providers) of two professionals who were each taking care of the other’s child while the one was at work. This is a literal example of “The Nanny State” , and such examples have gotten exponentially worse with the Covid Pandemic statist, currently taking unprecedented national power over citizen lives, and striving for one world government. If the Covid vaccines had truly worked as advertised, “safe and effective”, then there would have been no more need to enforce their application, then there is to force people to eat. There was ZERO need to force anyone to take the jab, threaten their rights, liberty or career. And regardless, there is not now or ever a government right to do this to anyone. Taking away a man or woman’s freedom, rights and career if they reject your “medicine” is evil, only made more insidious when the “cure” is not only ineffective, but deadly. 

The United States recognition of the right to seek self gain, (capitalism) combined with the fact that fundamentally we are or were a “republic”, guaranteeing freedom from tyranny of other groups, or from the tyranny of minorities and any majority, be it religious, political, corporate, or a combination thereof, is highly moral. My perspective is that it is a mistaken view that capitalism causes an evil selfishness in the pursuit of material prosperity. It has been stated that there is an inescapable form of selfish desire in the actions of all men; the removal of pain, want and suffering and the attainment of lasting happiness.

Capitalism is in many respects fundamentally honest, and a partial reflection of the above. It is an admittance that personal gain is never absent, even in the most altruistic, and so capitalism makes no pretense of removing personal gain. It also makes no moral judgment of personal gain being bad. It is a neutral admittance that desire for personal gain exists, and cannot be legislated away. Social systems that vainly seek to legislate selflessness, only condense the dark side of personal gain aspect into the most powerful people within the government, and in removing liberty and power from the common man, engender helplessness in the masses.

The one who prospers in capitalism has the freedom to become a philanthropist, or the freedom to use his wealth in a narrow selfish way. Capitalism however has a basic tenant stating that even the purely selfish accumulation of material goods, if acquired in the honest production of a good or service of value to others in society, produces good for that society. However, in empowering the individual there must be a strong co-commitment element of self-responsibility. One cannot expect the protections such a society enables without both self responsibility and offering some form of service back to that society.

The love of power for the purpose of subjugating others for one’s own ends cannot be removed by any government mandate or system. It just operates less effectively within a system built expressly for protection from such tyranny. The responsibility of the US form of government is designed to prevent the formation of such tyrannies: Corporate monopolies that unfairly drive out competition, lobby groups looking for special privileges, banking methods that rig the monetary system and allow leverage of assets tantamount to gambling in fractional reserve banking on steroids, government decisions making risk public but profit private, government sponsored enterprises and un-elected three letter agencies that, under direct supervision and authority of government regulators, do all of the above, are not caused by a capitalist republic, but are a perversion of it caused by the love of power over others, and the lack of cultural wisdom as revealed by the Ten Commandments and or “Satama Dharma”. (eternal principles of righteousness) It is the failure of the US government to police the above which is dereliction of their primary responsibility, the protection of individual and small group freedom and power, from the tyranny of those with group power, in any form.

The quotes of US and world statist politicians supporting extreme statism is very long. Why this globalist attack on the US? It is, in the view of many, due to the foundational principles that separate the US from most nations. The very factors that made the US ”a light on the hill” were the foundational principles based on “God given” individual sovereign rights, which by law limit government power. (One need not have faith in the divine to partially understand the value in this ideal of protection of individual liberty above human law)

Statists continuously promote “democracy” (defined by some as “two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch”) because they know it is far easier to turn a democracy towards central government power then it is a constitutional republic with individual liberty that is God given, above human law. The current statist ideal is to falsely try and portray the U.S. as founded immorally and built on profits of slavery. (As a small example see recent NY times article that conveyed exactly that, and the many efforts to tear down all the founding Fathers as immoral slave owners.) This is false political extremism and revisionist history, prevalent in academia today. It is also not new, as this great black patriot said in 1863...

“Let me tell you something. Do you know that you have been deceived and cheated? You have been told that this government was intended from the beginning for white men, and for white men exclusively; that the men who formed the Union and framed the Constitution designed the permanent exclusion of the colored people from the benefits of those institutions. Davis, Taney and Yancey, traitors at the south, have propagated this statement, while their copperhead echoes at the north have repeated the same. There never was a bolder or more wicked perversion of the truth of history. So far from this purpose was the mind and heart of your fathers, that they desired and expected the abolition of slavery. They framed the Constitution plainly with a view to the speedy downfall of slavery. They carefully excluded from the Constitution any and every word which could lead to the belief that they meant it for persons of only one complexion. The Constitution, in its language and in its spirit, welcomes the black man to all the rights which it was intended to guarantee to any class of the American people. Its preamble tells us for whom and for what it was made.” Frederick Douglass (June 1863)

No form of government can be free from intrinsic ignorance, but the evaluation of all systems should be based on their ability to resist the corruptions power reveal. Since WWII the US has been the most powerful nation on this planet. Despite its many flaws, the US HAD demonstrated a greater resistance to exerting tyranny over others than many other nations, relative to the power possessed. It has been stated that “the vanished lives of all men are dark with many shames” and if this is true, then it is also true that the vanished past of all nations are dark with many shames. In many recent actions, and in some past US actions, the US founding idealism was not followed and suffered great corruption.

While striving for a protective system, we must not depend on an outer system. Communism, practiced by Saints, would almost work. Capitalism and anarchy would as well. "Capitalism" does zero harm, and the Government also does zero harm. All harms are caused by the dark side of people. This understanding is vital to determine a system that most successfully prevents empowering this evil.

The reason Communism would fall with a nation of saints is simple and profound. They would die first, rather then ignore the dictates of their own conscience. And so they would make great citizens, yet poor subjects to human tyranny. There is a detailed account in history that well illustrates this, an encounter Alexander the Great had with just such a man, who even on pain of death threat would not submit to Alexander at all. even a little.

The history of Alexander the Great and his experience in India is interesting. There he experienced some humbling lessons, failing to cross the Ganges. Greek historians have recorded a fascinating history.  Alexander apparently became very interested by the religious culture he encountered. He sent Onesikritos (a disciple of the school of Diogenes) to a great Sanyasi of Northern India, ( Dandamis) compelling him to come visit Alexander, with a contrasting offer of riches if he complied, and loss of his head, if he refused, and proclaimed himself the Son of the God Zeus, and Lord of all men.  

The response was given very calmly, " I also am a son of Zeus, if Alexander be such,  I  want nothing that is Alexanders's, for I am content with what I have, while I see that he wanders with his men over the seas and the land for no advantage, and is never coming to an end of his wanderings.  "Go Tell Alexander that God, the supreme being, is never the Author of insolent wrong, but is the creator of light, of peace, of life, of water, of the body of man and of souls; he receives all men when death sets them free...  "Alexander is no god, since he must taste of death.  How can such as he be the world's master, when he has not yet set himself on the throne of  inner universal dominion? ... Most nations have not so much as heard of his name!"      He continued... " The gifts Alexander promises are useless to me. The things I prize and find of real worth are these trees, which are my shelter, blooming plants, which provide my daily food, and water, which assuages my thirst.  Possessions amassed with anxious thought, are likely to prove ruinous to those that gather them, causing only the sorrow and vexation that afflict all unenlightened men. ... I go wherever I please, unencumbered by material cares.""Should Alexander cut off my head, he cannot also destroy my soul.  My head, then silent, and my body, like a torn garment, will remain on earth, ... " I then, becoming spirit, shall ascend to God.  He clothed us all in flesh and put us on earth to prove weather when here below, we shall live obedient to his ordinances; and he shall require of us when we depart, an account of our lives.  He is the judge of all wrongdoing, the groans of the oppressed ordain the punishment of the oppressor. " Let Alexander terrify with threats men who wish for wealth, and dred death, Against the Brahmins his weapons are powerless, we neither love gold, or fear death.  Go then and tell Alexander this,  Dandamis has no need of aught that is yours, and therefore will not go to you; and, if you want anything from Dandamis, come you to him."

We are obviously not a world of Saints, so it is necessary to ask, do some systems better protect cultures from this fundamental universal corruption? Remember that if power reveals corruption, the US had passed this test better than many nations. Some on the left often repeat the mantra, “live and let live,“ but remain innocently ignorant of the danger of the system they wish to implement which is inherently duplicitous to this maxim. The US system WAS the best “live and let live” system, specifically due to its constitutional republic - capitalist system, and within any society, but particularly a large non-homogeneous society, this has many advantages. The “let live” part is easily forgotten in socialism, and both the “let live” and the “live” part are discarded in murderous Godless communism, Such power OVER others attracts sociopaths to the government like moths to a flame. And inevitable destruction is just as certain to follow.

Many feel that the great danger of statism, especially on a global scale, is a Global Government of elitist power hungry politicians and un-elected bureaucrats in a position where humans have a horrible track record of Democide. Definition of Democide - citizens Death by own Government, not via wars with other nations.

169,202,000 Murdered: - 20th Century Democide,

133,147,000 Murdered by their own government: Pre-Twentieth Century Democide

128,168,000 VICTIMS: THE DEKA-MEGA-MURDERERS
61,911,000 Murdered: The Soviet Gulag State
35,236,000 Murdered: The Communist Chinese Ant Hill
20,946,000 Murdered: The Nazi Genocide State

19,178,000 VICTIMS: THE LESSER MEGA-MURDERERS
2,035,000 Murdered: The Khmer Rouge Hell State
1,670,000 Murdered: The Vietnamese War State
1,585,000 Murdered: Poland’s Ethnic Cleansing
1,072,000 Murdered: Tito’s Slaughterhouse
1,663,000 Murdered? Orwellian North Korea

If all the radical statist indefatigable efforts to control society were instead directed to social studies which specifically teach free choice behavior that can be universally shown to engender happiness, such as the common religious ideal “life should be chiefly service” and the principles of eternal virtue, (called the ten commandments in the West, and Satama Dharma, or eternal principles of righteousness, in the East) only then will any earthly utopia be gained. With instant communication of need and rapid commerce, charity driven help could be rapidly delivered where needed all over. This is far more efficient than government, (where the effect is often the polar opposite of the stated intent) and far more liberating for those that engage in such work.

This understanding of true and universal happiness engendering actions and psychology is no small matter, and is so deeply missing in modern social science that failure is inevitable and all systems are doomed. Instead of wisdom, we have flawed people utterly lacking introspection, expensively taught to perceive themselves as elite and teaching others to perceive themselves as victims. These elite seek forced divisive based restitution rooted in confrontation with those innocent yet presumed guilty, often simply because of their color. And, in submission to their own demonstrated to be misery generating unwise personal desires, they often also spread their misery to all social structures, demanding to control every aspect of society and culture. The "March through the Institutions" is real.

Comprehensive studies on universal happiness (actions and attitudes that always eventually produce happiness) vs pleasure, (defined here as temporary capricious desires that only lead to temporary happiness, and often for that individual simply due to the fact that any desired satisfied temporarily removes a restless want from the undisciplined heart, or base desires that if catered to promise temporary happiness but instead enslave, produce misery and destroy happiness) is NECESSARY for society to survive and prosper. (“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.” ~~George Washington)

This philosophy of happiness, is not impractical imagination. Everybody is a philosopher in that one’s ethos, emotions and desires, are inevitably and always one’s philosophy lived. What works can rightly be called wisdom. Giving in to undisciplined unwise desires, or “getting what you want”, has ruined countless lives and cultures. “Desires lead to restlessness, restlessness leads to acts, then the memory all betrayed, lets noble purpose go, and saps the mind, until purpose mind and man are all undone.” There is an additional spiritual side of life that is necessary for lasting happiness. Yet that requires a different understanding of the “epistomolgy of nomunea” and so will be held for a later post.

Unbiased scientific understanding what truly makes content individuals and prosperous societies, and teaching this in our families and schools, would be immeasurably more valuable and lead to spiritual tuned lives and nations. In short teaching the Bible’s ten commandments as “eternal rules of happiness” and showing how these are perfectly reflected in India’s “Satama Dharma” principles, along with understanding the foundational freedom principles of the U.S., would be ideal.

Some forms of global government are likely inevitable, simply due to how small and interdependent the world now is. Yet these ideals of individual liberty, religious liberty, and national liberty, as opposed to the God-less central global government with a secular humanist perspective, prevalent in academia and many nations today, will hopefully be a large part of that.

As stated, just as ”the vanished lives of all men are dark with many shames”, so the vanished past of all nations are dark with many shames, yet there is much for each nation to be proud of. When one travels to different nations it is enjoyable to see the positive and different qualities of those nations, where often common happiness generating virtues manifest differently, and these sovereign aspects of virtue, along with individual freedom, need protection. Perhaps this balance is what we are struggling towards in our painful earthly karmic way.

All the Best…