Zero Hedge has printed a guest article illustrating how Aristotle's political advice to tyrants perfectly sums up the approach of the Obama administration, the NSA, and a bunch of other policy priorities. It's eerie to see how a work well over two thousand years old can still so accurately describe our modern condition. Here's a brief excerpt.
Aristotle attacks tyrants mercilessly in his book, and clearly spells out the criteria which make a leader tyrannical. You may recognize a few of them:
- Aristotle suggests that a tyrant rises to power by first demonstrating that he is a man of the people.
- But once in power, a tyrant uses all available means to hold on to power, including spying on his people.
- Furthermore, Aristotle tells us that a tyrant thrives by creating division and conflict– “to sow quarrels among the citizens; friends should be embroiled with friends, the people with the notables [the rich]. . .”
- Controlling the economy and stealing the citizens’ wealth is also another mark of a tyrant.
- And as Aristotle points out, a tyrant also attempts to disarm the people such that “his subjects shall be incapable of action” because “they will not attempt to overthrow a tyranny, if they are powerless.”
- Naturally, a tyrant “is also fond of making war in order that his subjects may have something to do and be always in want of a leader.”
There's more at the link. Tyranny indeed!
Peter
1 comment:
This description sounds waayyy too uncomfortably close to our current Australian Prime Minister, who has stayed in power by the use of most of the artifices described here.
With the grace of God, and the uncommon sense that MUST be applied by the Australian voter this Saturday, 7 September, hopefully this disgrace will end.
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