From: ibshambat@gmail.com   
      
   America has an unusual relationship with success and power. On the one hand,   
   it looks up to the winner. On the other, it would support an underdog against   
   a bully. On first sight this appears irrational or hypocritical. In fact there   
   appears to be a good    
   logic behind this.   
      
   Someone would get good at something or other. He would get some kind of   
   success or some kind of power. For a while he would get respect. Then he would   
   get used to it or let it go to his head. He would do stupid things. He would   
   act like a jerk or a bully.   
    At that point people's sympathy will leave him and then go to some underdog   
   challenger. This appears to be dysfunctional, but it's not.   
      
   With power, we see another relationship. I have heard many people say that   
   power is evil. I have also been told to let go of my judgments of powerful   
   men. There appears to be a place for both attitudes. Power can most certainly   
   be used for all sorts of    
   wrong things; but that is not the only possible outcome. As for powerful men,   
   that can mean anything from Genghis Khan to Theodore Roosevelt. It is rightful   
   to have judgments of the first but not of the second.   
      
   My view on power is as follows. Power is a tool, and a tool is what you are   
   using it for. As the NRA says, “Guns do not kill people; people with guns   
   kill people.” Tools are neither good nor evil. Tools are neutral; and   
   whether or not they are good    
   or bad is decided by how they are used.   
      
   Of course with both attitudes toward success and attitudes toward power we see   
   all sorts of hypocrisy. People would like either when they have it, but not   
   when somebody else does. A conservative would look up to a successful   
   conservative but would    
   demonize a liberal, a Jew, a Russian, a Hindu or a Chinese who also becomes   
   successful. On one hand we see “money talks bullshit walks”; on the other   
   we see howling about limousine liberals, Wall Street Jews and others who   
   likewise became financially    
   successful. So we go from “America: love it or leave it” to “Jews   
   control everything” or “a Satanic New World Order conspiracy.” None of   
   the latter claims have any validity whatsoever. They are being made now   
   because these people can no    
   longer claim to own financial success, and they can't handle that.   
      
   With power we see hypocrisy of course on a much grander scale. If a woman has   
   understanding of people she is “manipulative”; if a politician or a   
   businessman does, he is “competent.” If right-wingers in power – even if   
   they stole an election -    
   they are winners; if liberals are in power – even if they were legitimately   
   elected - America is being taken over by damn commies. If Reagan is in power   
   he is a great man; if Obama is in power he is a sociopath. You will want your   
   own to have    
   empowering qualities, and you will reward them for that. But if anyone else   
   has empowering qualities, they are dangerous or worse.   
      
   I want to get rid of hypocrisy on these subjects, but I do not impugn either   
   success or power. Both are what you are using it for. Guns do not kill people;   
   people with guns kill people. Use the gun to protect your family, but do not   
   pull it on your wife.    
   Same is the case with success; same is the case with power.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)