He who thus domineers over you has only two eyes, only two hands, only one body, no more than is possessed by the least man among the infinite numbers dwelling in your cities... Etienne de La Boétie (1530-1563)

 

See first the earlier post, and the one prior to it... I discovered this young 16th century French writer and his essay when reading works by American abolitionist/secessionist, essayist, political theorist, lawyer, entrepreneur Lysander Spooner (1808-1887)...

"All this havoc, this misfortune, this ruin, descends upon you not from alien foes, but from the one enemy (tyranny) whom you yourselves render as powerful as he is, for whom you go bravely to war, for whose greatness you do not refuse to offer your own bodies unto death. He who thus domineers over you has only two eyes, only two hands, only one body, no more than is possessed by the least man among the infinite numbers dwelling in your cities; he has indeed nothing more than the power that you confer upon him to destroy you. Where has he acquired enough eyes to spy upon you, if you do not provide them yourselves? How can he have so many arms to beat you with, if he does not borrow them from you? The feet that trample down your cities, where does he get them if they are not your own? How does he have any power over you except through you? How would he dare assail you if he had no cooperation from you?"

Etienne de La Boétie (1530-1563)
Discourse on Voluntary Servitude (1577)

The late 20th century Austrian-Misesean economist Rothbard wrote as a forward to the newer translation of Boétie's work, echoing the same indictment of the people that participate, in addition to the despot him/herself...

"Every tyranny must necessarily be grounded upon general popular acceptance. In short, the bulk of the people themselves, for whatever reason, acquiesce in their own subjection. If this were not the case, no tyranny, indeed no governmental rule, could long endure."

Murray Newton Rothbard (1926-1995)
Introduction for Harry Kurz's translation of Boétie's essay (1975)

And so these Towers of Babel throughout history, since antiquities even primitivities, have manifested in various forms; as literal towers or some other public project(s), as excessive governments, of course, as despotic kingdoms then tyrannic empires, as well grand economies puffed up by grander debt only to bust the bubble inevitably. Yet, as much fault oft levied upon tyrants, kings, prime ministers, presidents, parliamentarians, senators, bureaucrats, corporate cronies, and rightly so, they could not have so schemed without a far broader participation among the citizenry. Consequently, if to blame King Nimrod for the tower, therefore if to blame Big Brother for the Orwellian superstate, if to blame the King of France for 16th century state of French affairs, and if to blame King Saul for that which followed during his reign and the reigns to come, then blame too all those who participated, benefited, supported, etc.

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23