The Ring of Power

As I sit here watching mother nature paint the world white creating the
illusion of purity, I came to the realization that Thoreau was really
right about "the masses of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

As an example (and the subject of this blog) consider the one thing men
will fight to the death over but has no value. It is power.

The power I speak of is not a bigger engine in a muscle car, although
symptomatic, but rather power over other beings. I use the term beings as
I have witnessed this effort expended over dumb animals. No, not your
second-cousin Frankie. Although he is dumber than a box of rocks. No the
power I speak of goes under guise of leadership.

This fool's quest runs the gamut of the crude brute in grade school all
the way up to and including the POTUS aka leader of the free world. It is
just feeding the ego plain and simple. Boys, typically, are conditioned
from infancy to be a man among men. Failure is deemed weakness.
The argument for leadership are legion; there is altruistic, neccessity,
power for the sake of power, masculinity and the list goes on.
All of them are bullshit.

The altruist claims we have to fix things for someone else and they can
get it done. Few dare ask why it must be fixed or why should they lead.

The neccessity typically claims we need a powerful leader to defend
ourselves. Perhaps, but show me the threat. I mean SHOW ME the threat. We
are enmeshed in an endless war without a clear threat. But just our leader
time, some intel from a satellite will emerge with plenty of analysis by
people we don't know with a motivation we haven't a clue about.

Hitler and Idi Amin are classic examples of power for the sake of power.
Power is control of the people.

Masculinity is the most perverse of them all. This is all part of the
mating ritual. Many women are transfixed by the possibility of mating with
a powerful leader. They have confused power with strength. In the end,
many of these women learn that their leader is too consumed with leading
to pay any attention to them. Some, perhaps in a twisted reality, assume
leadership among other women who are wives of her mate's subordinates.

This leadership nonsense assumes a leader is requisite. For a transient
problem, this may be true. Problems arise, are dealt with and then go
away. Between problems, there is no logical reason for a leader to exist.
Some will claim that having a existing leader will expedite the problem
solving.

First of all, a leader isn't a worker. Workers build and repair. A leader
doesn't research, his advisors do all that. In heirarchial systems, the
leader decides after consideration and then delegates to subordinate
leaders who delegate to subordinates, etc.

The need for future leaders is so intense that the Army long ago mandated
an up or out retention system. Get promoted to a leadership position or go
home. The Army will even send the soldier to leadership training. It
appears so important that Army recruiting advertisements brag about the
leaders they produce. So hire the vet; they will get the job done.

The problem is exercising power. Few who start down that path can ever
escape it. They practice it in small ways every day. Commands to family
members (especially the little lady), advise and sticking their noses in
other people's business.

It is time to tell them to shut their rat crap mouth. Those who have risen
above the ego-feeding need have pity on them and at the same time,
recognize that they are dangerous,willing to fight to the death to
maintain power.

They can never be a friend. A friend is an equal and the power-seekers
won't stoop that low. It is time to end the age of hero worship. (Heros
are a good subject for another time.)