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Authority and power are not inherently evil, nor is the desire for authority or power. Would you like the authority and power to prevent women from being raped
by reeses 13y ago
Authority and power are not inherently evil, nor is the desire for authority or power.
Would you like the authority and power to prevent women from being raped? Would you like the power to vote to implement laws equalizing 'rights', such as same-sex marriages?
- rubinelli 13y agoPower may be a necessary evil, but it's still evil. It robs you of empathy, because putting yourself in the shoes of every person affected by your decisions is just too emotionally taxing. And lack of empathy is the root of all evil.
- reeses 13y agoWe are perhaps defining power differently, which is why we will disagree. I see 'power' as 'the ability to realize my will' and I think you're extending it to 'power over other people,' which does imply that, at some point, it will conflict with someone's legitimate (not saying who is to decide what is legitimate) pursuit of well-being. I think perhaps we also disagree on the definition of 'evil', but I'm not interested in debating this online. This discussion requires beers and scarred wooden furniture. :-)
- rubinelli 13y agoWell, yes, what you call "power", I'd call "freedom", and it isn't what comes to mind in the context of "power-hungry federal agents."