Reply #7: Caligula or the average Joe?

[SteveC]

Bush would rather be feared by his enemy, than loved by his enemy. That is generally true of everyone who seeks power, even liberals.
Power really does corrupt people's minds. Domination is seen as easier than negotiation.

Eventually, however, the fear wears off, and then the negotiation is more difficult because people don't want just respect anymore, then they want revenge. Revenge masquerades as "justice" and the circle begins again. No peace, just perpetual revenge, and the victors give glory to the person who led the charge of revenge, poisoning the minds of the next generation. That is why all political parties and nations have their original heroes, who tend to be generals, not peacemakers.

In our Orwellian world, we call soldiers peacemakers and peacemakers troublemakers. Liberals will send soldiers to Darfur but not Iraq. Conservatives will send soldiers to Iraq but not Darfur. Both try to use violence and fear to create obedience. Power works for a short while, but the hypocrisy of power eventually reveals itself and it becomes ineffective. The ends cannot justify the means. Peace can only be accomplished through love and forgiveness, not hate and revenge. (fear) All authority is hypocritical. Peace can only be accomplished through consensus and all people being equal. Since the Constitution re-created the hierarchal structure that was overthrown, we are experiencing all the same habits of Empire. The appetite for power grows incrementally until it is an obese monster. Bush is not the ugly American, we all are. As Pogo said: We have met the enemy, and he is us.