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Power: The Rich Man’s Meth

// November 19th, 2005 // Comments Off // General

It’s like Chomsky repeatedly says: institutions are not about to do anything that would harm themselves.

Power is intoxicating. When men get a taste of it, it is addictive like crack, like crystal meth. Power is the rich man’s meth. Once he gets it, he’ll do anything to keep the supply coming, and to protect his stash.

The addiction causes the person who is in the throes of accumulating and enjoying the exercise of power to not only have the desire to preserve what they have and get more, the very fact of having power results in a greater ability to get more and to keep hold on what they’ve got. It is unlike drug addictions or alcohol, or gambling, or other addictions which weaken the person and destroy their ability to continue. Power acquisition is self-perpetuating. Once you have it, it’s easier to keep it, gain more of it, and prevent others from getting it.
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Fear, and Overcoming Fear

// August 29th, 2005 // 5 Comments » // General

When leaders use fear to motivate people, dictatorship arises. The corrupting influence of political power overcomes all but the humblest leaders. Fear becomes a tool. It is wielded as a weapon of propaganda.

The iron fist of ancient emperors briefly held on to domination, and earned them a place in history’s list of “world leaders.” The modern communist and fascist and capitalist empires slip on a democratic glove to soften the grip of the iron fist, but it’s there: Fear the Savage! Fear the Indian! Fear the African! Fear the Jew! Fear the Hun! Fear the Red! Fear the Arab!

Religious power has also proven to be a corrupting influence, and has often cooperated with government to keep fear within the common people alive and burning. Sinners, when their ministers convince them that God is angry, and is dangling them over hell’s flames, are ready to do anything to allay their fears of God.

Crusades were launched (fraudulently) in the name of Christ because of religious fears turned into military aggression against Muslim peoples, who found themselves living on land that the so-called Christian leaders of the day had a stake in controlling.

History repeats itself. Terror alerts corrupt leaders to more subtle ways of moving good folk to take up arms against fellow human beings, and occupy their land, control it, exploit it, all in the name of “national security,” our new American Fear-religion.

Perfect love casts out all fear. “Fear not,” Jesus constantly repeated, and his angels, too. And Jesus taught us that our greatest enemies are not death, poverty, hunger, deprivation, or suffering, and instructed us to not fear those things. His followers bravely endured suffering and shame and humiliation, all in the name of bringing something better to the people they were serving.

Does anyone out there feel that there is even a tiny place for Christians to do more (than simply voting) about such pressing political and religious issues in our present world, more than just sitting back and waiting for the end of it all to come?

If so, what do you suggest?