Despotism of Modernity

In class we were talking about the forms despotism (or tyranny) takes in government. The principles we discussed were quite interesting so here are a few of them.

All of the despotic rulers throughout history, up until a certain point, were more removed from the common people. The average Joe did not have to much to fear under the rule of Nero, Alexander the Great or Henry VIII because these tyrants were concerned only with those who had political power. The closer you were to these men the more power you had and the more power you had the more you were considered a threat to the throne. Henry VIII had his queens and his chief advisers like Thomas Moore executed. Alexander the Great, when he conquered a nation, only had the kings of those nations killed. Nero destroyed his own mother who had put him on the throne and did so mainly because she had the power to put him there. This behavior is predictable of most tyrants up to a certain time in history. The turning point occurred during the the early 1900's though its seeds were planted around 1787.

Modern despotism plays out on a much more personal level. Those in high political positions had much to fear still but under rulers like Stalin, Hitler and Mao no average Joe was safe. He had everyone to fear; the state, his neighbors, even his family. Such absolute despotism was never before possible because the government had never before been so involved in the affairs of the individual. The socialistic state engenders this relationship between the government and its citizens. A "Nannie Nation" offers numerous services to its citizens and creates the mentality that the state will provide for all their wants and needs, but in order to receive these benefits much personal information is required. An example of this is the United States' income tax. If you want to get a greater tax return you give the government information about how much money you make, how much of it you gave to charity, how many kids you have and their ages, how old you are, your health issues, etc. I would agree with those that would argue that socialistic programs are created with the intent to help people but it must be understood that such programs increase the power of government and when this kind of power falls into the hands of a Hitler or a Stalin, because the power already extends into every aspect of the citizen's lives, the tyranny of these men is felt more completely.

But what is the point of all this? Yes, despotism has increased its power but why has it done so? I do not say that I have the answer but I would like to point out the interesting correlation between the birth of modern despotism and the birth of America and constitutional government. It is interesting that following so closely the greatest amount of political freedom ever to be enjoyed was the greatest amount of political bondage ever to have been endured. And so, with the greater light comes the greater darkness and as good increases in goodness evil increases in evil. What is also interesting is that it seems to always happen in that order, good increases than evil increases, as if the later were some how dependent on former for its expansion. It is as if evil is incapable of original thought in that it cannot create an evil without stealing from a form of goodness. Such is its evolution.