Power Corrupts; B. Moreell

Now, obviously, there is no point in passing a law which requires people to do something they would do anyhow; or which prevents them from doing what they are not going to do anyhow. Therefore, the possessor of the politi[210 ] cal power could very well decide to leave every person free to do as he pleases so long as he does not infringe upon the same right of every other person to do as he pleases. However, that concept appears to be utterly with out reason to a person who wants to exercise political power over his fellow man, for he asks himself: "How can I 'do good' for the people if I just leave them alone?" Besides, he does not want to pass into history as a "do nothing" leader who ends up as a footnote somewhere. So he begins to pass laws that will force all other persons to conform to his ideas of what is good for them. A Strain On Morality That is the danger point! The more restrictions and com pulsions he imposes on other persons, the greater the strain on his own morality. As his appetite for using force against people increases, he tends increasingly to sur round himself with advisers who also seem to derive a peculiar pleasure from forcing others to obey their decrees.

He appoints friends and supporters to easy jobs of ques tionable necessity. If there are not enough jobs to go around, he creates new· ones. In some instances, jobs are sold to the highest bidder. The hard-earned money of those over whom he rules is loaned for questionable pri vate endeavors or spent on grandiose public projects at home and abroad. If there is opposition, an emergency is declared or created to justify these actions. If the benevolent ruler stays in power long enough, he eventually concludes that power and wisdom are the same [211 ] thing. And as he possesses power, he must also possess wisdom. He becomes converted to the seductive thesis that election to public office endows the officialwith both power and wisdom. At this point, he begins to lose his ability to distinguish between what is morally right and what is politically expedient. [212 J SURVIVAL OF THE SPECIES t'l Bsn rflOl'lJst!