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badqatAug 15, 2010
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
denizen42Aug 15, 2010
Inaccurate.
Closed AccountAug 15, 2010
nobody likes you.
denizen42Aug 16, 2010
The comment to which we're replying has no wisdom, it's what a typical whore would say. If you're dumb enough to think man has NO POWER against corruption, you are just another weak whore, and part of the problem.
Power in itself does not corrupt men; FOOLS however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.
Now that, makes more sense.
glbernsAug 15, 2010
Only a Sith deals in absolutes.
rad66203Aug 16, 2010
Yes Obi-Wan. No absolutes. Just like you can't say the slaughter of those Jedi children was evil. Calling my blood soaked orgy "evil" would be an absolute. There are no absolutes.
Really?
orangerevelAug 16, 2010
I'm sure those children were guilt of something! No absolutes for you!
ineedanewsn1992Aug 15, 2010
Good thing nothing is absolute in this world.
I thought most of Digg was too intelligent to resort to extremes in conversation. Why can't we drop this black/white crap and at least call this article out on stereotyping?
Yes, there are lots of corporations, administrations and governments (Tobacco Companies, FDA, RIAA, ect) that have a vested interest in their own agendas, be it profit, political reasons, to impose their view, or a mix of all three.
What we can't make is a sweeping generalization that all powers are illegal. We should be wary of them, and push for them to be reigned in, but stooping to their level (stereotyping, scapegoating, that ironic anti-drug commercial that asks you "Who is pulling the strings?") is not wise. We have to use reason and logic to destroy them.
genericdiggerAug 15, 2010
With great power comes great responsibility
orangerevelAug 16, 2010
That's the catch-phrase of old Uncle Ben.
subatomicdocAug 15, 2010
"Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts, perhaps the fear of a loss of power." -- John Steinbeck
isnyAug 15, 2010
Fear leads to anger.
dauntless1Aug 15, 2010
Anger leads to aggression...
amaoicanAug 15, 2010
Aggression leads to unhappiness...
And that is the path to the unlit side
oxidaneAug 15, 2010
This is the first comment that isn't a quote ripped off of some quotation website.
jareddennisAug 15, 2010
Yes, Rupert, tell me what power does to a person.
echelonistAug 16, 2010
Not to back Rupert, but the guy probably was corrupted way before he got any power.
ecoreAug 15, 2010
It's not just the Power that does it....it's the long haul that kills your spirit. Today you have to work until your dead.
hipmanAug 15, 2010
Hope and Change.
eurynom0sAug 15, 2010
Scotty, I need more power!
I'm givin' 'er everythin' she's got, Captain!
aplusjimagesAug 15, 2010
They should make a TV about power. Give some person power, who normally wouldn't, and see who changes. Let them go nuts with it as long as they don't break any laws.
scuba7183Aug 15, 2010
I think most TVs use a decent amount of power already
themachine1Aug 15, 2010
"Finally Big Ern is Above the Law!!!"
ineedanewsn1992Aug 15, 2010
We should rent out a small country and have Sarah Palin rule it in a month-long reality TV show.
sageerrantAug 15, 2010
Canceled after three weeks.
ineedanewsn1992Aug 15, 2010
Due to escalating riots.
silverback101Aug 15, 2010
Civil war erupts within three days. Cannibalism is reported within a weeks time.
maxjanAug 15, 2010
All power corrupts, but we need the electricity.
howitzer86Aug 15, 2010
And spinning graves make good backup generators.
keraneuologyAug 15, 2010
Mormon scripture explicitly notes this: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/121/37,39#37, "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion ... No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile"
hatoummoAug 15, 2010
Why the burying? Yeah mormons are kinda "off" but even a broken clock can be right twice a day.
chops76Aug 15, 2010
Sounds to me like those people didn't get past the words "Mormon scripture."
kinshipAug 15, 2010
Its easy to criticise people with power. Most people who aim to attain power, do so because they want to achieve the betterment of themselves or the people around them. In reality its hard to get things done without a degree of it. The moral of this article isn't to criticise those in power, it is to be aware of the way we naturally change when we're in positions of power.
Many people who do get riled up about power are those who, really, have no power at all. To do well in a position of power or responsibility is no easy task, and the majority of people shy away or don't try to take it on. They leave those brave enough to take it up to make the mistakes and be the focus of criticism. I've always thought open dialogue helps situations when people start acting dictatorial, though its no easy feat for people to realise they've been pretty bad, i mean who likes getting criticised when your the moral high ground?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
cfuseAug 15, 2010
"Instead of being polite, honest and outgoing ..." - You rarely get to the top by being any of these things. The more elite the level, the bigger the ****s the top players will be.
Closed AccountAug 15, 2010
Power lets you control your reality without having to actually get in the mud and pay attention to that reality.
To get power you have to get in the mud, attend to the mud, become an expert mud-navigator.
Once you have power you don't need to actually touch mud anymore. You can address the mud from a distance, in the abstract, from within your comfortable office. That mud is reality. That power insulates you from reality. Power is a ticket to comfortable schizophrenia.
enditAug 15, 2010
"he was found dead days after, his lungs filled with mud."
Closed AccountAug 15, 2010
pfffft. i learned this from Berserk.
hometAug 15, 2010
This is a very good article on power. It's refreshing to see an article about this topic in a very rational and dispassionate matter. It further solidifies my belief in more oversight on all power in the US both public and private.
(Psst... It's not government vs. business. It's the people vs. both)
curunirAug 15, 2010
Which is why all power should be spread out, and balanced. Exactly like the Constitution tried to do, if only it were followed. Limited federal government, sovereign states with the power of nullification, most powers reserved to the people. And a balanced legislative, judicial and executive branches with checks on each other's power.
The consolidation of power in an all-powerful executive, or worse, a global governance structure with the ability to impose rules on everyone, will inevitably lead to tyranny.
pjone88Aug 15, 2010
This happened to me too at my job. I was a part timer and got along with everyone. After a few months I was promoted to manager and thougt " alright I know what it's like to be a employee so I'm gonna be the most loved manager of all time".
After a few months I wasn't loved anymore, when I walk into my workplace I can see everyone act like deer in front of headlights.
Then our corporate did a test with managers to see if we knew how how it was like being a employee. I thought I was gonna ace this thing but I failed so bad.
Once I attained power and responsibility my percpective in everything changed. I don't think I'm corrupt it's just my motivations are different.
Closed AccountAug 15, 2010
Uh, no.
Their ability to glad hand and fake giving a s**t is a machiavellian trait, they don't change at all
skinturtleAug 15, 2010
"Mr. Keltner compares the feeling of power to brain damage, noting that people with lots of authority tend to behave like neurological patients with a damaged orbito-frontal lobe, a brain area that's crucial for empathy and decision-making."
There you go...in a nutshell....or a nut case.
bossdj26Aug 15, 2010
"Great potential and little resistance results in great power" -Georg Ohm
amaoicanAug 15, 2010
Ohm iGod, I was just thinking the same thing!
Closed AccountAug 15, 2010
This guy improperly used "Machiavellian" so many times it makes me seethe in anger.
If someone is using the technique, you won't know it. One of the first rules of power is to know when to speak, so they aren't going to open their mouth for petty reasons.
Another major rule is crushing your enemy, gossip is a surefire way to track bad mouthing back to you, if a Machiavellian uses words against an enemy they will never know it. They will crush them completely with those words, or make someone else think it was their idea.
The methodology of these studies is also not mentioned but severely seems to rely heavily on biased assertions.
As for the cash study, it's a matter of getting what's yours. If someone else would screw you out of the money, only a weak individual would not do the same if given the chance. This is why war will always exist, as soon as everyone disarms and starts hugging, the guy with the guns will roll in and become the new boss.
amaoicanAug 15, 2010
"This is why war will always exist, as soon as everyone disarms and starts hugging, the guy with the guns will roll in and become the new boss."
Peace != disarmament
You can have peace without having defenselessness. In fact, the existence of nuclear weapons is probably a pretty big part of why Russia and US never engaged in active open warfare.
Closed AccountAug 16, 2010
tell that to all the people who think defense spending is worthless
amaoicanAug 16, 2010
Sure, show me someone who wants to reduce defense spending to 0 and I'll tell them they are wrong. "Defense spending is not worthless" != "However much we happen to be spending on defense right now, it's either the right amount or it's not enough"
ubermannAug 15, 2010
Funny enough -
To answer your question, I am going to defer to the Digg article right after this one:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/14/apple-supply-manager-arrested-for-wire-fraud-money-laundering/
iceman21Aug 15, 2010
Here's my theory, its just because mostly assh**es are allowed into power.
In a corporation, only the profit driven d**kh**ds will get into power, why?, because they are assh**es, they will work staff hard, try and cut costs everywhere, drive people to be miserable and fearful for thier jobs (bobby kotick as an example)
As with most facts there are exceptions, there are probably a few companies where people are nice to each other, and the people in power are not as assh**ish, but thats in small companies and the minority, in a large corporation only the meanest, souless bastards are given higher roles becaause they will make the corporation wealthier, or keep it wealthy.
Of course that is not the only way to do things, but it is the most productive, that and assh**es thrive on making other people miserable, those two things go hand in hand.
Politics i am not sure about, i know money is often thrown at politicians to alter laws in the favor of a corporation so they can be as wealthy as possible (or so they think), which only an assh**e would do and accept.
A good person would get into politics to improve things for the general population, doing that will usually go against what a corporation wants, say having more consumer rights when a product is faulty, these laws exist to some degree but i bet they took a hell of a lot of an effort to put in place due to resistance from companies etc.
I know what i would do if i got into a position of power, but i would be unable to do it alone, i would start unravelling laws that infringe freedom, freedom of movement for a country's inhabitants, freedom of speech, freedom to defend your life and property against intruders, up to and including deadly force, freediom to share anything you have, with as many people as you want, those would all be basic rights and unalterable by any law or ruling.
And i would take a f**king rocket launcher to every single one of those stupid x-ray machines at airports.
semisarcasticAug 15, 2010
And judging by that last sentence you'd in the end after gaining all this power would just turn into another assh**e.
iceman21Aug 15, 2010
Those x-ray machines are a menace, they are invasive and intruding on the personal privacy of everyone who walks through them, i've always wanted to fire a rocket launcher and those machines would be my target of choice.
CSA4everAug 15, 2010
I suspect that the same phenomenon applies to individuals who are operatives of powerful organizations. The "I'm from the high command" syndrome. So we should be cautious in how much power any organization gets.
aurydragonAug 16, 2010
Forget about using tribulation and hardship to test someone's character.
If you really want to test them, give them power.
smanthacarterAug 16, 2010
Google