Power, The Ultimate Addiction

Power. It is the ultimate addiction. It's grip on the human mind is stronger than sex, money, and even drugs. Power, particularly political power, has been the most destructive force throughout human history. It has caused the deaths of millions of human beings in every nation across this planet. The narcotic of power leads to greed, corruption, aggression, violence and eventually despotism. Power, as Lord Acton so aptly put it, does "corrupt, absolutely". No race, ethnicity, gender or political affiliation is immune to the drug of power, and all nations have had leaders who abuse power. Let us look at what the usurpation of power has done in the twentieth century alone.

Bloody Century

The 20th century was arguably, the most bloody century in recorded human existance. Two world wars, numerous genocides, "police actions", revolutions, and the rise of countless dictators were the norm for the globe during this bloody century. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Francisco Franco, Che Guervara, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh, Kim Il Sung, Mussolini, etc the list goes on and on. All of these evil men were men who held absolute power over the lives of their people. Gulags, concentration camps, death camps, death squads, mass murders, torture, were the means by which these despots remained in power. Use of a police state apparatus against their own citizens gave these men the power to murder, starve, torture and enslave all who opposed their will.

Our nation, the United States, is not immune from this future. We have seen the steady and concentrated erosion of our liberties since the end of WWII and more recently the since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. President George W. Bush and other Republican fascists have been working day and night to establish a police state in America. Secret trials, prisons and use of torture have made the USA hated and despised around the globe. The use of miltary tribunals to try suspected "terrorists" whether Americans or not has been attempted. All of this is a result of too much power in the hands of men. In matters not whether a man is well educated, like many in the political class, or is uneducated; the gift of absolute power to one man, or a group of men corrupts and destroys not only the person exercising such power, but the liberties and lives of their fellow citizens. Power is what all politicians crave. Once aquired, like a narcotic, the obsession for more power causes men to commit the most heinous of crimes. Lying, slandering, bribery, theft, corruption and even murder are used to maintain power. Men's souls are destroyed while they seek power. It is often said that the libertarian is an atomist only concerned with himself. This charge is false. As pointed out by Peter Brow on his Nation of Liberty website, the true atomist is the statist. He cares only about himself. More particularly, he cares about his personal aquisition of power, making him the true atomist. The English and American Libertarian tradition is in direct opposition to the aquisition of power and it's corrosive effects on the human mind. Let's examine this tradition a little more closely.

The English and American Libertarian Tradition

This great Anglo-American tradition is a philosophy of Liberty vs Power in a political state. Starting with the English Revolution of the 1640's,and in a direct line through the American and into the French Revolution, this tradition attempts to maximize the liberties of individuals against the power of the state. During the English Revolution the English Levellers exerted this philosophy in it's purest form. These libertarians called for complete freedom of religion, abolition of all church privileges, abolition of the monarchy, the House of Lords, and freedom for the individual Englishman. Also the right against unreasonable search and seizure, the use of Habeus Corpus, opposition to conscription, abolition of the famous royal Star Chamber court, and freedom of press and speech were proposed. Although the Levellers failed to implement their program due to the treachery of Oliver Cromwell, the fight for liberty was begun.

Later in 1688 the English "Glorius Revolution" was completed. The power of the monarchy was limited, and the power of Parliament increased. Men like John Locke and Algernon Sidney brought forth essays and writings against absolute power. Locke, in his Second treatise of Government proposed the radical doctrine of popular sovereignty and the right of revolution by the people against a tyrannical government. Algernon Sidney in his Discourses on Government also opposed absolute monarchy and put forth his radical doctrine of the right of revolution and regicide. Sidney paid for these writings with his life in 1683 by being beheaded for treason .

In 1720 English radicals Thomas Gordon and John Trenchard began publishing their radical anti-clerical, and anti despotic, Cato's Letters.
In these articles Trenchard and Gordon put forth the arguement that men who are in power always aspire to aquire more. Power, lead to corruption and despotism as the despot and his minions plundered their country to enrich themselves and increase their power. In article after article these men exemplfied the ideology of Radical Whiggery. Both men correctly pointed out that mercantilist corporations, state religions, and government bureaucrats are all involved in enslaving their nations while enriching themselves at the expense of the lives and liberties of their fellow men. Trenchard and Gordon's writings were one of the most read writings on the libertarian tradition by our Founders.

These Radical Whig writings came to their most successful fruition during the American Revolution beginning in 1765 with the Stamp Act and culminating with the birth of the United States. The American Revolution became the true libertarian revolution against arbitrary power. This libertarian tradition also infected Europe helping cause the French Revolution as evidenced by the abolition of feudalism, abolition of church privileges, and the abolition of the monarchy.

This direct line now leads us back to power, and the consequences of unbridled authority.

How the Quest for Power Destroys a Man

The quest for more political power usually leads to the destruction of the power hungry individual, his nation and it's people. Power causes men to plot against each other, betray confidences and friends, break promises, in turn destroying their very soul. The quest for power can make good men vicious, kind men uncaring, and evil men monsters.

Most men who seek power do so for their own benefit. They claim to be public servants, but really only wish to make the public serve them. Once power is acheived, a ongoing desire for more develops. As this desire increases attempts are made usually through the manipulation of a supposed "crisis" that "requires" more government power. This government power translates into power for the ruling clique or person. It also requires a large standing military to maintain a climate of fear, a police state apparatus to keep the populace in line, and government propaganda machine to keep a semblence of legitimacy around the clique. All in all this quest for power annhilates liberty, morality, and generosity. It eats men out from within. Just look at any bureaucrat, local state or federal, that has a large amount of authority. Generally they are arrogant, condescending , and have little compassion for the concerns or problems of their consituents. Power corrupts the soul of a man. It leads to hate, aggression, war, brutality, and tyranny.

Power as a Dark Force

Power can be used for either good or ill, although it is usually used for evil. This was seen most perceptively by Star Wars director George Lucas in his outstanding six episode space opera. As related by Jedi Master Yoda: " fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."
Power fanatics are very afraid. They are afraid of losing their power and domination of others. They are angry and aggressive because they need these negative emotions to fuel their quest for greater power. They are hateful because they crave the inferiority, misfortune and tragedy of others. Arrogance pervades their personalities so as to hide their insecurity and uncertainty about themselves. Their hatred is projected out on their unfortunate subjects because the object of their hate is right before them in the mirror. When all of the layers are removed these people are unhappy, tragic souls who resent and despise themselves.

In Revenge of the Sith Anakin Skywalker is plagued by doubt, anger and fear of loss. He allows his fears and negative emotions to dominate his thinking. During this time the evil Palpatine, the future emperor, plays on Anakin's fears, resentments and his burning anger. It is his fear of his wife dying in childbirth along with his growing discontent with the Jedi Order that causing him to fall prey to Palpatine's evil influence. Anakin's fears prove to be his undoing and are a direct cause of his quest for power and eventual transformation into Darth Vader. Anger, fear, doubt, aggression, and hate are the harbringers of power. Men like Josef Stalin hated mankind. He used his absolute power in the Soviet Union to massacre, starve and enslave his people. Mao Tse Tung, brutal despotic founder of Communist China, stated " food is a weapon", a statement he clearly meant when he starved millions of his people. He also stated "political power comes through the barrel of a gun". This statement was fulfilled by his creation of a massive standing army to occupy his country and keep the populace from revolting.

None of these power hungry individuals are happy people. The exercise of absolute power over others is a sure sign of mental degredation. To cause others to suffer and die so one can be all powerful is the consequence of a mind filled with hate and self loathing.

Lessons for the Future

We need to heed the warnings of history. From ancient Rome to modern America, the results of absolute power are the same. The death of liberty, freedom and morality is the sure consequence of allowing one man, or group of men to become all powerful. The USA is no different. Since the 9/11 attacks we have seen the erosion of our sacred liberties in the name of fighting "terrorists". We have seen government agents aquire more power and authority to spy of citizens. We have seen the executive branch of the federal government grow larger and larger. These are warnings, dire warnings. We are one "terrorist" attack away from the end of constitutional free government. When such an attack happens, the American "experiment" in libertarian government and democratic republicanism will be over. It is our job as citizens and patriots to oppose all increases in power for public officials. We must speak out loudly against encroaching tyranny. If we are silent, Power, the Ultimate addiction will have infected so much of the political body that there will be no return.

Conservative Fascists And the End of Liberty

This is the second part of our series 'The End of Liberty". In this essay we will examine the extreme right wing of the American oligarchy. This oligarchy consists of the conservative fascists within the American media, the military, and the poltitical/financial complex. This fascist "fifth column" is hell bent on annihilating the American experiment in self government and taking us back to a day when the elite ruled over the "rabble", and men knew to obey their "betters". If this fascist cabal succeeds American liberty will die and the United States as a free, enlightened republic will disappear forever from the Earth. If this happens, a knew Dark Age will envelop the world. We as defenders of freedom and liberty must defeat this plot. First, we must identify the cabal in order to destroy it. Let us begin.

Government Media Propagandists

Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, G. Gordon Liddy, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter all have one thing in common: Extreme nationalistic fascism. None of these so called "conservatives" has any clue what American republican government is about, nor do they care. Like all sycophants for desoptism, they use the gift of demogouery , hate, and 500% patriotism to destroy rational freethought and debate. All of the above have called for "regulating" the internet, jailing "traitors" who oppose the Iraq War, defacto dismantling of the First Amendment, and total war against Arab states in the Middle East. None of this should surprise us. Nationalistic fascism always has it's adherents who seem to crawl out from underneath their rock during times of war, crisis, or national calamity. Most of these fascists are hypocrites and liars. Rush Limbaugh once called for executing people who deal and those who casually use drugs, yet he has been proven to be addicted to narcotics which he illegally bought through his maid from drug dealers. G. Gordon Liddy, an extreme moralist, is a convicted criminal. One of the Watergate burglars, he was part of the criminal Nixon regime and an enemy to freedom. Bill O'Reilly, another bully and moralizer, just last year was forced to pay off a woman he was having phone sex with ( not his spouse), who he also threatened with physical violence and termination of her employment. Although I am not aware of any skeletons in Sean Hannity's closet, nothing would surprise me about him. Hannity is a sadistic and elitist demagogue who craves power and blindly supports any act of the Bush Administration or the Republican Party.

Recently,fascist Ann Coulter called for supression of "liberal" speech. These "liberals" are "traitors" and "enemies of America". Ms Coulter enjoys calling her opponents "un-American". I would very much disagree with her. If anyone is "un-American" it is Ms. Coulter. Calls for censorship, conquering Islamic nations , as she put it " we should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity". Let's examine Ms. Coulter's philosophy: commit the USA to aggressive war, assasinate foreign leaders, enslave the indigenous populace and forcibly "convert" them to the Christian religion. Hmmmm. What is remotely "American" about that? NOTHING, if you look at it through the eyes of revolutionary classical liberalism and not through the eyes of the statist/fascistic mindset. This nation's founders would not recognize such an evil philiosophy as anything remotely patriotic or "American". Ann Coulter, like all fascistic minds, is morally, emotionally, and mentally bankrupt.

All that enters these deluded minds is POWER, DOMINATION, AND CONQUEST. We must remember the right wing fascist is usually an insecure, intolerant, paranoid individual who should never be allowed to have power.

Worship of the Military/Industrial Complex

Since the end of World War II and the advent of the manufactured "Cold War" the American military has grown in size and power exponentially. This growth has created the most powerful , and largest military on this planet. In conjunction with this growth has come the inevitable growth of the favored and corrupt special interests that feed the military Leviathan.
Defense contractors, munitions developers, technology companies who create more and more surveillance technology, are all getting enormously wealthy, not off of a free market, but off their monopoly privileges, and are actively supporting the federal government in it's destruction of American liberty.

The United States, along with all of the other nuclear powers has the potential to annhilate human existance on this planet forever. Even with this awesome power the American military and it's corrupt leadership crave more and more power. Conquest, invasions, overthrowing foreign governments, and assasination has become the norm in American Foreign policy. Jefferson's ideal of "Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship with all nations, entangeling alliances with none" is dead. The neoconservative cabal is in a mad rush to Americanize the globe and in the process destroy all freedom and liberty.

Corporate Government

The United States government maintains a mutually beneficial relationship with Big Business. This relationship has fleeced the American people for decades now. Subsidies for corporations, monopoly contracts with government bureaucracies, and the literal bribing of American politicians through large financial donations to their favored Congressmen and Senators has caused the American people to pay higher prices for goods and services that would be cheaper on a truly free market. This symbiotic relationship between government and corporate America has instigated wars ( Vietnam, The Gulf War, Iraq War, etc) and enriched both government bureaucrats and corporate CEOS. This form of modern mercantilism is rapidly destroying the ability of the United States to be a financial superpower. Massive government and private debt ( some say totalling over 20 trillion dollars) is a cancer that will inevitably result in revolution or dictatorship.

Central Banking Fraud

One of the biggest frauds perpetrated by the conservative/fascist elites is the imposition of central banking on America. The First attempt was during and just after the American Revolution by conservative elites looking to recreate the corruption and hierarchy of the British government. The second attempt was even more dangerous. Led by conservative despot Alexander Hamilton, the conseravtive Federalists, generally made up of former Tories and wealthy merchants, were able to foist the Bank of the United States on the young republic. Hamilton, a monarchist and advocate of the wealthy dominating government, began by proposing corporate welfare and the uniting of "the wealthy interest" to the federal government. The Jeffersonian Republicans put up a fierce battle stopping the corporate welfare, but were unable to stop the Bank.

This Bank was to accumulate huge debt by which the Federal government would be financed. Bonds, and Bank stock would be sold and conceivably purchased by wealthy elites who would then control the federal government. Along with this debt would come the boom and bust cycles common to central banking. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson after being elected repealed all internal taxes imposed by Adams and Hamilton. Further the national debt was rigorously paid and the Bank's power was curtailed. The Bank's charter expired in 1811 under the presidency of James Madison.

The next great hurdle, after the Bank's recharter in 1816, was the Jacksonian movement to destroy and repeal the Bank of the US. Andrew Jackson, a firm Jeffersonian, opposed the recharter of the Bank in 1836. He vowed to "destroy the monster". Destroy the monster he did. Jackson vetoed the recharter of the Bank. Before the veto, Bank Chariman, Nicholas Biddle used the power of the Bank to cause a depression in an attempt to cause Jackson to lose the Presidential election. Biddle had no scruples in manipulating the electoral politics of the nation. Biddle's high handed actions backfired and Jackson was not only re-elected, but the Bank was dead.

The financial elite came back again, this time in 1913 with the establishment of the Federal reserve System. The FRS, a system run by private banking interests, sets interest rates, manipulates credit and debt, and has caused an endless chain of boom and bust cycles since it's inception. All through these cycles wealthy interests become even more wealthy and powerful, while the common people of the USA suffer depressions, recesssions, high taxes, massive debt, and eventual poverty.

Conservative fascists love the corruption, power and wealth that central banking brings. Central banking from the American Revolution to our day has been used to elevate members of the Old Order to higher and higher levels of power and influence. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and other financial elites use this system to fund war after war, all the while the American people become poorer and poorer through inflation, deflation and a continuous declining standard of living.

Regulation of Personal Freedom

Conservatives have always held the Hobbsian view that men are corrupt, stupid and incapable of self government. Men, they maintain, must be "ruled" by fear, powerful central government, and financial interests, all of course, run by themselves. They, of course are immune to the corruption, stupidity and evil of the "rabble". Right wingers complain about high taxes, religious discrimination ( against conservative Christians only), regulations, and bureaucracy. Unfortunately their rhetoric does not match their actions. Since G.W. Bush has been President the Federal government is the largest it has ever been. The Administration has imposed secret trials on "terrorists", including one American, Jose Padilla, torture of prisoners, perpetual war in the Middle East, supported the Patriot Act, and all of it's unconstitutional acts, and proposed eliminating the Posse Comitatis Act of 1878 to allow the standing military law enforcement power in the USA. These acts are the acts of a nascent fascist state. It is the great grandchild of the monarchies and aristocracies of the Old Order. Freedom has been given warning to depart the USA. Conservatives of today are not hidden libertarians or freedom fighters. They are fighting against freedom and for power against the people. You will hear conservatives repeat over and over about "morality", "faith" and "family values", which they say "liberals" and libertarians lack. They conveinently leave out conservative hypocrites, who have no problem lying, slandering, and defrauding taxpayers with their transfering the wealth of taxpayers to special interests. One conservative hero, fascist ex-Marine Colonel Oliver North, when he worked for the NSC during the Reagan administration helped draft secret plans to have the President declare martial law and suspend the Constitution of the United States during a "national emergency". He secretly used the Contra rebels to import narcotics into the USA, all the while declaring himself a patriot.

Colonel North is a decided enemy of personal freedom. He is a rabid supporter of the Patriot Act, the War in Iraq, the use of secret evidence, and the doctrine of classiflying American citizens as "enemy combatants". Colonel North is just one of many fanatical conservatives who oppose liberty.

Unfortunately, most rank and file conservatives support these maniacs and sociopaths. Sadly, they have been buffaloed by the rhetoric of right wing radio, magazines like the National Review, The Weekly Standard, and Commentary. These journals promote the state over it's citizens and the power of "organic society" over it's members. This is the doctrine of the all powerful state at the center, with the citizens as satelites. The American Revolutionary doctrine of the sovereignty of the people, individual liberty. and freedom is casually cast aside by these criminals.

What to Do?

The question remains what do we, the American people do? How do we stop these evil tyrants? Every act, and bill proposed must be protested vehemently. Throngs of Americans should hit the streets like our forefathers did protesting against the tyrannical acts of the British government like the Stamp Act and Tea Act. Americans of that era were true "Sons of Liberty". The patriots put the British bureaucrats, monopolists, and Tories on notice that economic and civil slavery were unacceptable and that freedom and liberty are a natural right. We must do the same against the Patriot Act, Secret Evidence Act, and other liberty destroying laws. Conservative fascists are not defenders of freedom. They are the mouthpieces for the ruling economic and bureaucratic elite.