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Guest Post: The Dark Heart Of Centralized Power
Submitted by Charles Hugh-Smith of OfTwoMinds blog,
This pathology is not the result of individual psychology or character; it is the result of centralized, concentrated power itself.
It's little wonder so many sociopaths end up in positions of power: power attracts the ruthless unencumbered by empathy. No wonder the phrase pathology of power resonates: The Federal Reserve and the Pathology of Power (November 18, 2010).
There is an ontological darkness in centralized power, and it flows from the disconnect between authority, responsibility and consequence. A leader with vast centralized powers--a president, an emperor, a dictator--has the authority to send young citizens into combat in distant lands, but he does not carry an equal responsibility to ensure their lives are not lost in the vain glories of Empire. The consequences of his decisions do not fall on him; he is far from the combat and the loosed dogs of war. His concern is the domestic political squabbles of the Elites who support his centralized power.
All centralized power carries the same pathology: those with the authority are never exposed to the consequences of their authority, nor do they have any responsibility for the consequences. The president who launches an unwinnable war that chews up the nation's youth and treasure leaves office to fund-raise for his self-glorification, i.e. a presidential library.
The CEO whose strategies fail to revive the corporation and indeed send it to the brink of insolvency leaves with a "golden parachute" worth tens of millions of dollars.
This pathology is not the result of individual psychology or character; it is the result of centralized, concentrated power itself. Giving any individual or small group this kind of power--over war, over the nation's money and credit, over its healthcare--distorts the field of perception; even people who were once non-pathological become pathological once power takes hold of their being. Soon they believe they have god-like powers to "fix things;" indeed, they feel a responsibility to wield their god-like powers "to do whatever it takes."
But since there is no personal consequence of their rash policies, nor any responsibility for the devastation their powers unleash, the power becomes pathological.
When the multiple bubbles burst and the financial house of cards comes crumbling down, Ben Bernanke will be comfortably secure, far from the consequences of his policies. It is worth recalling, on today of all days, that only two U.S. presidents in the past 50 years had any experience of combat: John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush. Both men acted with care and restraint in matters of war and both sought a peaceful resolution to the Cold War. Was this merely a coincidence, or did experiencing combat inform their humility and sense of responsibility for the consequences of their choices?
The more power devolves to those who actually face the consequences of their actions and authority, the less pathological it becomes. This is the power structure of liberty: each person carries the responsibility and consequence of their actions, choices and words.
"But we are told that we need not fear; because those in power, being our representatives, will not abuse the powers we put in their hands. I am not well versed in history, but I will submit to your recollection, whether liberty has been destroyed most often by the licentiousness of the people, or by the tyranny of rulers.
I imagine, sir, you will find the balance on the side of tyranny. Happy will you be if you miss the fate of those nations, who, omitting to resist their oppressors, or negligently suffering their liberty to be wrested from them, have groaned under intolerable despotism!
Most of the human race are now in this deplorable condition; and those nations who have gone in search of grandeur, power, and splendor, have also fallen a sacrifice, and been the victims of their own folly. While they acquired those visionary blessings, they lost their freedom." (Patrick Henry)
"Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors, and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people…. [There is also an] inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and … degeneracy of manners and of morals.... No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare." (James Madison)
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I said it earlier and I'll say it again...
Decree Powers, hedgers!
DaddyO
That is why they are called DICTATORS.
They like to tate dic!!!!
If so many warned about the powers of the few, then how did the few gain so much power over the manys? Riddle me that.
By promising them free shit if they put them in a position of power.
The rub is, of course, the promises are never met. Only replaced with the pleading "if only you give me MORE power, I will be able to keep that promise."
Next question.
" By promising them free shit if they put them in a position of power. "
You could also have said : " By promising them privileges ..." .
The very foundation of what some call "crony capitalism" .
"The global money matrix, worldwide financial architecture and planetary economic landscape most closely resemble the proverbial House of Cards in the form of a Pyramid-Ponzi scheme superstructure built on quicksand. Therefore, any sober and sane inhabitant of Planet Earth would only want to be rid of it all. And that’s exactly what the FOUR HORSEMEN of 2012 and beyond, aim to do. Trample it all under, so that we may finally be rid of it all."
http://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=2902
(1) DOLLAR Collapse
(2) DEBT Overwhelm
(3) DERIVATIVE Implosion
(4) DEFLATION (Asset)
Because they dont teach anything of what the founders said/experienced any more. You have to have an interest to go dig it up yourselves. I'm JMU alum by the way! Go Dukes!
Assassination (character or otherwise)
And it is accelerating at a more rapid pace than ever.
The action in the senate yesterday, was astounding!
Brazen, depraved, power drunk just to name a few things about centralized debauchery.
DaddyO
I take it in stride myself. I know one day they will push someone too far and that someone will walk up there to DC and start kicking their teeth in.
Before that happens though, I think we as individuals need to build an economy of our own and simply ignore those idiots. Their heads are too big for their meals.
The Armageddon Letters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA1iOFiWtQc
All the videos in the series are worth watching. Really interesting stuff
http://www.youtube.com/user/armageddonletters
JFK
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJuKpf_8IJ0
The guide-posts marking the path of downfall of any empire are clearly marked. As long as the thinking is all reactionary and short-term-oriented, they will inveitably be crossed by the US, as they have been by all other empires preceeding ours.
Clearly, we are in the process of a downfall now.
I will point out that there are varying levels of downfall, however. From mere loss of world prominence to "wiped off the face of the earth, records of their civilization are spotty." It's an elevator that only goes down. How soon we get off is the only real choice left now.
Are you speaking collectively or individually?
Many are waiting on the flag to go up before they disassociate. As a civilization, we are nearing the end of an epoch. Our path over the past 40 years has been predictable based on prior collapses.
The acceleration is what is mind-boggling at present.
Just shut down the EBT for a few hours and the FSA loses its mind. What would happen with a prolonged outage the turns into outrage?
Matt Bracken has written some pretty prescient stuff on this subject.
http://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/bracken-when-the-music-stops-how-americas-cities-may-explode-in-violence/
I just read another good outline on the possibilty of a collapse, American Exit Strategy by Mark Goodwin. It is decidely from a Christian perspective but is insightful on societal collapse.
The thin veneer of civility is just that, a thin veneer that can easily be peeled off in a very short time by the simplist of upsets.
DaddyO
A lot of statists can not grasp the basic concept of civility. They just seem on the individual level to be incapable of understanding the voluntary nature of civility and that eventually the majority of people will simply remove their consent and start standing against the aggressiveness of statist incursion. By the time that happens it's already too late for the statists, as the revolt will spread like a wildfire.
Nid- the statists get it. Believe me, they get it more than anyone. They are relying on the scraps they throw out to mollify the masses. That machine will never be turned off.
It's other areas where they are blind to their own downfall (more accurately, they think it can be indefinitely postponed to a point beyond their tenure).
They are also relying on the fact that they have priority access (via their "fully paid for" Military connections) to a very diverse range of effective anti-personnel weaponry. Rest fully assured that if "things" do start to "get interesting" they will have absolutely zero hesitation in using these taxpayer-funded goodies for their benefit,assisted no doubt by their "friends" in the nowadays-fully Paramilitary "Police" forces.
Seeing as they fully control the MSM, anything other than a spontaneous and near-total (i.e. millions of participants) insurrection will experience heavy news suppression, and will probably be "reported" via archive media recordings, to allow "media management" of the events. Assuming of course that the events are not white-washed as an "Industrial Accident" or similar.
The general public? Providing the TV still runs their favourite "entertainment" they will not give a hoot. Idiocracy may have been "just a film" but the underlying degradation of commonsense and even the ability to derive obvious conclusions, is everywhere, here and now.
Postponement to a point beyond their tenure? Almost an absolute certainty. And once there is another "carefully orchestrated massacre" that can be successfully used to remove the populace's guns, they will be home and dry for generations.
That is why they don't get it, they are screwed well before that. No one will escape this unscathed.
" ... the voluntary nature of civility ..."
It's not as simple as that .
Learn about reciprocity, and what could be the foundations of civility .
Before that happens though, I think we as individuals need to build an economy of our own and simply ignore those idiots.
Best comment of the day! Thanks!
Thank you for the compliment, and please do share it with others.
Agreed. I am starting my own personal semiconductor wafer fab out in the garage, setting up a hospital of one, and training and equipping an individual army. I'm macguyver plus the quantum leap guy plus the multiplicity character.
Geez that was depressing. Friday Humor anyone? (I got nothing)
Not depressing to hear a strong view from someone who won't capitulate.
Best CHS piece ever, IMHO.
CH-S talks about pathology...
They are indeed, pathological in their attempt to subvert Liberty!
This is not going to end well!
DaddyO
Is it surprising that the assasination market is booming on Bitcoin?
It may be time democracies also introduce negative incentives to individual absolute power. E.g.,
Congressional Lottery: Weekly drawings from Members of Congress (Senate, President, etc). The winner gets executed (publicly for the entertainment of the population).
Hunger Games of disgraced CEO-s.
Mayors to investigational drug trials.
Judges vacationing in prisons.
Other ideas are also welcome!
Government IS the problem, so government can't fix it.
We need little to none.
Most of the people I know are basically decent people. Some are more informed than others, to put it mildly, but decent in intent.
Without the few psychopaths stealing so much and controlling the MSM for their own ends, people would pretty much get along, IMHO
Honest Exchange.
"All centralized power carries the same pathology: those with the authority are never exposed to the consequences of their authority, nor do they have any responsibility for the consequences."
Not necessarily always true. See Hitler, Mussolini, etc.
Sometimes the bad guys get what's coming to them. Unfortunately it's usually after millions die.
George H W Bush?..............please..........CHSmth, do some research about this piece of scum and his family.
Carroll Quiqley on the Central Banks The powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent private meetings and conferences."
"The apex of the system was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basle, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world's central banks which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank . . . sought to dominate its government by its ability to control Treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence cooperative politicians by subsequent economic rewards in the business world."
-- Carroll Quigley, "Tragedy and Hope", 1966, pg 324
Power questing is no different than any other addiction; porn, alcohol or hash.
The longer it goes on untreated, the worse the power inebrieated becomes. Obama's chin rises higher each year, his nose rising to a higher plane than his rear molars.
As most serial killers tell us afterward, each kill brings with it more of a rush, as Obama's drone strikes have proven. He notches another kill on his bedpost, the lust for more blood increases.
He 'apologizes' for people kicked off their healthcare plan, then behind closed doors whispers to California insurers to not let them off the hook, pretending to live in both worlds.
Each time, a little more thrill fucking the people.
There is also the common phenomenon in each case of the individual expressing (at least in their own minds) that they are aware of the potential risks (i.e addiction) and they simply will not "permit" themselves to succumb to the 'bad' part -- as so many others before them have allowed.
I think you gotta get burned by an addiction before you can REALLY grasp what a strange self-perpetuating mindset takes hold and starts "doing the driving."
Power lust seems to be exactly like that. No metaphor required.
CH-S. Thank you for one of the more powerful and dead on target lead ins to what promises to be a great read. Good on you sir for your article.
Milestones
Charles, you left out the part about Poppy Bush recruiting and directing the assassination team that killed John F. Kennedy.
Honor JFK and watch the only documentary on his assassination you'll ever need... and watch the Netflix version or buy the DVD on Amazon, the YouTube version *is not* the same!
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/70128268
If you want to see something really good on JFK, try to get your hands on a set of DVDs called Evidence of Revision.
Here is the power of owning a money machine.
This occurred on Saturday morning September 13, 2008: Jamie Dimon, dialing into a conference call with two dozen members of his JP Morgan management team with this life and death message:
“Here’s the drill. We need to prepare right now for Lehman Brothers filing.” Then he paused “And for Merrill Lynch filing.” He paused again.”And for AIG filing.” Another pause. “And for Morgan Stanley filing.” And after a final, even longer pause he added: “And potentially for Goldman’s Sachs filing.” (Andrew Ross Sorkin, Too Big To Fail, 2009)
This, then, occurred on September 23, 2013:
Goldman Sachs, Nike, and Visa replaced Alcoa Incorporated, Bank of America Corporation, and Hewlett Packard Company as components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
How can this be you say, an insolvent Goldman becoming a component of the Dow 30 in five years? Well, that is the power of owning a printing machine, put thusly June 9, 2008, by Lew Rockwell in a speech entitled War and Inflation:
“It is the central bank, and only the central bank, that works as the government's money machine, and this makes all the difference. Now, it is not impossible that a central bank can exist alongside a gold standard, a lender of last resort that avoids the temptation to destroy that which restrains it. In the same way, it is possible for someone with an insatiable appetite for wine to sit at a banquet table of delicious vintages and not take a sip.
“Let's just say that the existence of a central bank introduces an occasion of sin for the government. That is why under the best gold standard, there would be no central bank, gold coins would circulate as freely as their substitutes, and rules against fraud and theft would prohibit banks from pyramiding credit on top of demand deposits. So long as we are constructing the perfect system, all coinage would be private. Banks would be treated as businesses, no special privileges, no promises of bailout, no subsidized insurance, and no connection to government at any level.
“This is the free-market system of monetary management, which means turning over the institution of money entirely to the market economy. As with any institution in a free society, it is not imposed from above, and dictated by a group of experts, but is the de facto result that comes about in a society that consistently respects private-property rights, encourages enterprise, and promotes peace.
“It comes down to this. If you hate war, oppose the Fed. If you hate violations of your liberties, oppose the Fed. If you want to restrain despotism, restrain the Fed. If you want to secure freedom for yourself and your descendants, abolish the Fed.”
+1
All the way down with that...
If Americans had to pay cash up front to fund our wars, war would be infrequent, brief and decisive.
The author has a good point. From personal experience, I have observed that war is the most collossal waste of resources and life that human beings can achieve. Anyone who has been there would think twice about going into it, and only if it is a matter of survival. Unfortunately, we have been led by a series of boy-men who have no concept of what war really is. Coercion is the most expensive and least efficient or reliable means of achieving anything. The FED has allowed our Nation's government to pursue endless war through unlimited debt. If Americans had to pay cash up front to fund our wars, war would be infrequent, brief and decisive.
Krushchev helped coordinate the moving of Russia's industrial base to the east when the German army was advancing - [a truly and utterly amazing feat]; he also helped defend Stalingrad against a brutal German assault. Baaaaaaaarry can't even get a website up and running. What a piece of work he is...
I will second your assertion. It's amazing to think that Western Civilization (as brutal as it got on occasion) actually knew how to work with both hands and mind at one time.
That was because Krushchev didn't have WS Banksters and MBA Asshats telling him to outsource the backbone functions of a nation to third-world countries like India, China, Vietnam.....
When you manage the world by numbers, you basically get good numbers, but a fucked country.....
This crosses across all presidents, from community organizers to alcoholic draft dodgers to womanizer crooked dicks....
JFK was a veteran. He is responsible for the bay of pigs, Vietnam, and nearly starting WWIII in the cuban missile crisis. The Navy was so ham handed in their anti-sub work that a Soviet Captain was about to shoot back with a nuclear torpedo...
Bush Sr. did a good job in Iraq.
The best vet was Ike. He kept us strong but out of trouble.
I might believe that shit some days, especially if you show any understanding of, and give credit and balance to the men that you describe in such a lame text book fashion. Don't agree/disagree with whatever you said, just get/show some depth you guys.
The Blogger with TwoMinds did not "show any understanding of, [nor] give [proper] credit and balance to the men" that he describes:
Both men waged war, in any lame [history] text book "lying"(*) around. To what depth must we go, to prove this point: "both men waged war when they had the chance"?
Well, ok... JFK only sent Berets to Vietnam and the Bay of Pigs was planned as a "small" excursionary force, so yeah, ok, JFK showed some "restraint" when he waged war. And he "only" took the World to the brink (brinkmanship) of a nuclear-powered WWIII when he showed "restraint" in the Cuban Missile Crisis.
And Bush Sr. pulled out of Iraq when he had the chance to push to Baghdad. So yeah, ok, he showed some "restraint" when he waged war too. Here is a video of the "care and restraint" achieved on Bush Srs' "Highway of Death", lest anyone forget how war is carried out by a "caring" Veteran President.
Only 150,000 casualites. That was one well-restrained war.
Now, everybody thank Bush Daddy for his "care and restraint".
(*) choose either meaning for "lying".
Maybe I am not using the same dictionary as the TwoMinded blogger to define "care and restraint"?
The Dark Heart of Centralized Power indeed. Decentralization of power is the key. Unfortunately, even if we could set up a system where power is decentralized, how do we KEEP it that way? After all, the Founders did set up such a system, but every decade for the last 200 years has ended up with power more centralized than it was in the begining of that decade. The answer is to be found here, in the prescriptions of Localism http://www.amazon.com/Localism-A-Philosophy-Government-ebook/dp/B00B0GACAQ/ref=pd_rhf_pe_p_t_2_GB3H
Evil will always win
because Evil is always willing to do anything and everything necessary to achieve its goals.
While Good leans back and enjoys itself.
I love my children, my family, and by extension, my country. Evil is not willing to sacrifice itself for others. We may very soon get an opportunity to find out who is willing to do the most for what matters to them the most.
Your sacrifice would make a good Hollywood movie.
If you survive, be sure to write a book.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
There is only and always, just us, to flash the bright sword of freedom to cleave that slimy gloomy weak dark heart. I'll be here when the party starts.
"I like my Dictatorship and will keep my Dictatorship."
Look at the chart of gasoline sales in thousands of gallons. It becomes pretty evident that the life blood is draining out of the system.
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=A103600001&f=M
If an economy runs on energy then your chart, Cloud9.5, proves the U.S. economy is in crisis, particulary now under Obama's $4.00 gasoline.
My additional data regarding fuel consumption per miles driven along with the US population explosion, drives home your chart's amazing point that “the life blood is draining out of the system.” What I’m saying is that altlhough the population keeps going up the refinery sales keep going down in spite of the fact that MPG is increasing only slightly. I've added my data to yours to back up your point:
U.S. Total Gasoline Retail Sales (per month) by Refiners (Thousands Gallons per Day) coupled with US population and MPG:
1983 Dec - 51,879; population 233,791,994; fuel economy standard for passenger cars, 26.0 MPG
1993 Dec - 56,075; population 257,746,103; fespc, 27.5 MPG
2003 Dec - 63,395; population 290,326,418; fespc, 27.5 MPG 2002 - last year available*
2013 Aug - 24,113 (last month available); population, 317,119,508 and ticking**
https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?dsrcid=225439
http://www.census.gov/popclock/
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/cafe/alternativefuels/background.ht
http://www.pewenvironment.org/uploadedFiles/PEG/Publications/Fact_Sheet/History%20of%20Fuel%20Economy%20Clean%20Energy%20Factsheet.pdf
*After Congress lifted the freeze on fuel economy in 2000, the administration enacted a pair of minimal light-truck increases. The most stringent of these, finalized in 2006, is to raise standards from 22.2 mpg to 24 between model years 2008 and 2011, an annual increase of 2 percent.
**The PEW Environmental Group estimated the fuel use for cars to have an average MPG of about 32.5 in 2010 (wishful thinking?)
*** According to EIA data, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the United States was $1.838 on Jan. 19, 2009--the day before Obama took office.
My point is that the system will fall apart long before the wet dream of total control drempt of by the central planners can be put in place. The District of Columbia will need every round purchased by Home Land Security to prevent the FSA that surrounds Washington from eating them.
It's Only Rock And Roll-The Rolling Stones
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9lfnNS4zU (4:11)