Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

HELL Yes!

Is wielded and given in the name of The Almighty.

usually.

I don't think the maxim is always true, because the time needed to develop an absoluteness of corruption is not defined and is too variable.

as I recall. This is the same Pope who decided that birth control was evil. Before that, the Church didn't really pay attention to it.

Book by Gary Wills (not George Will) called Papal Sin is a very good history of the Roman Catholic Church in the last couple centuries.

He felt that the Church needed to get out of the "pelvic issues".

Made sense to me, a former Catholic, who thinks the Church is weirdly obsessed about sex.

"There are two things you don't get once you become a Bishop: a bad meal, and the truth."

Kanary

this statement could be false.

Exists, has absolute power, and is good. If you ask me, every part of this statement is questionable.

What he was saying is that because people start looking up to the authority of a Bishop, they are always served the best food, and people are afraid of telling them the truth.

Seemed to me like a very aware and wise Bishop to say something like that.

Kanary

It's just an alleged counterexample to "absolute power corrupts absolutely". "Someone" who does have absolute power and is not corrupt.

God isn't corrupt, too. :P

to discovering. :)

Kanary

I find that statement to be so incredibly nihilistic.

You might as well throw your hands in the air and say "fuck it."

Let me tell you something. In the film business (which is where I work), people can get a lot of power. So the business attracts some of the most wonderful people you'll ever meet in your life ...... and some of the worst.

The power attracts the bad people. A producer I used to know said "people get into the entertainment industry to fuck out of their class". Some of the nastiest most evil fucking people you can imagine are in the film business.

AND some of the most wonderful, talented, charming, and advanced souls you'll ever meet.

Some of these wonderful people wield a lot of power.

So I don't buy the supremely negative statement that it's true.

If it is, why bother? Why give anyone power?

Think of your candidate. Why would you want them to have the power of the presidency if you're convinced it's going to corrupt them, and corrupt them in proportion to the power they gain?

Giving that person so much power that if that person goes corrupt or crazy the power cannot be taken back without an extremely high price is not fine.

Donald Rumsfeld.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

Is all power corrupting?

Does absolute or near-absolute power in one limited sphere (e.g. a boot camp drill seargant) corrupt the person as a whole, or are the insidious effects limited to that sphere?

With the knowledge that power corrupts, is it possible to escape corruption?

I believe that it takes a person with a strong belief in themselves and their values to resist. Unfortunately I see a lot of people defining themselves by the size of their house, car, etc. i.e. the more you got the higher your standing and also way too many people looking up to the have-it-alls no matter how they got it.

On the other hand, people with true values and the intent to see them through tend to get knocked off.

Power attracts the corruptible...

When you seek to lead others, you seek to become a servant to those who would allow you the position of leadership. When you seek power..you seek control of others....Far too many seek the power behind being a leader and not the servitude that comes with being a true leader. True leaders serve...

:kick: