Power Is An End

May 7, 2006April 29, 2018 B. John 1215 Views torture, Power, 1984, Orwell, Persecution

This entry is part 24 of 36 in the series Deep Thoughts

Power is not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. —Orwell, 1984

Regular readers of this blog will know that I find us frighteningly close to Orwell’s vision of 1984. Orwell’s observation here is not that people use power to accomplish something, but they use power to ensure they have more and continuing power.

Series Navigation<< WildernessSeek help first for a friend. >>

B. John

B. John Masters writes about democracy, moral responsibility, and everyday Stoicism at deep.mastersfamily.org. A lifelong United Methodist committed to social justice, he explores how faith, ethics, and civic life intersect—and how ordinary people can live out justice, mercy, and truth in public life. A records and information management expert, Masters has lived in the Piedmont,NC, Dayton, OH, Greensboro, NC and Tampa, FL, and is a proud Appalachian State Alum.

Share this:

B. John