Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Power corrupts both the ruler and the ruled...

The duration of the citizenry's tolerance and acceptance of such maniacal pandemic measures are disturbing. I have come to understand Lord Acton's axiom as a double-edged sword, corrupting both the ruler and the ruled. Whether marginally, proportionately, incrementally towards absolutely, government corrupts inevitably most everyone, those who are seductively allured then conditioned by the power thus culled by it, as well those who are perceptively secured then coddled by the power thus lulled by it.

"If there is any presumption it is the other way against holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it."

Lord Acton (1834-1902)

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