Kids these days

The more I watch liberal and illiberal democratic and autocratic politics, the more I am convinced that Lord Acton had the last word on power.

Power corrupts. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. And so does your mother.

So the big question is:

So where's the hope, genius?

If power corrupts and that's the last word, what's the way out? Or aren't you ready to concede that there is no way out, pretty boy?

Two things.

First, don't hate me cause I'm beautiful. It's just uncouth. And it just makes me sizzle in ways your momma warned you about.

Second, it's a damned good question, don't you think?

Why is it that if power corrupts that liberal democracies like America still seem to stumble forward in the biggest picture? Or was your high school history teacher just inescapably full of shit.

Well if your high school history teacher was me, then the answer to that last question is an inescapable and emphatic, "Booyah." Can't get anything past this guy. Except with magic.

But the answer to the first question is actually pretty straightforward.

Power corrupts. That's for sure.

But, the light at the end of that tunnel is that it also falls apart.

Every single time.

No exceptions.

Why?

For the same reason that bullies always get their due.

Because, after awhile, you piss off enough people, you create enough enemies, eventually, you're going down. Either of your own accord. Or someone will make sure that you go down. Or be subject to the musical wrath of Mr. Barry Manilow.

In democracies, we have elections. Without democracy, you have bloodshed and revolution. And loads of cake, apparently. Which was the long history of humanity - empire, war, and revolution - up until liberal democracy. Which is why it's so ugly that people would engage in similarly manipulative behavior, like, say, threatening war or revolution, in a liberal democracy, to get their way. Not that anyone would do that (I'm talking to you, Mr. Terrorism-is-the-perfect-preparation-for-schoolin' the-youngin' Western and not-so-Western activists and intelligencia).

In liberal democracies, we can just choose differently when someone deserves to be humbled. We don't actually have to bully them in return. Like, say, how the Republican leadership and conservative activists are gearing up to do, as we speak. Or as the Democratic leadership and progressive activists have been doing for the last couple of years. And really all of them have been doing since the beginning of politics as a social practice. And as homo sapiens have been doing to other homo sapiens - and really most of God's creation - since they first discovered bacon.

But, one thing is for sure.

Everyone gets their cummupance. Zero doubt about that one. Not sure? Go talk with Hitler. He might have a story or two after he recovers from that little matter of his suicide. Poor baby.

And that's how it always works out, in the end.

Because noone likes to be bullied and manipulated, obviously. And though bullies will often not take responsibility for their own bullying, in the beginning, they sure as hell will make sure that noone bullies them. And people find ways to confront bullying, in the end, is the truth.

In America, we have a democracy. And that's how we confront bullies who can't get the message that they need to either humble themselves or be humbled.

But, in the bigger picture, it's not our government that needs to face, most, it's bullying.

It's us.

Yeah, you, girly man.

Every single one of us who is trying to get their way with bullying because they think they can. Which is most of us. In one way or another. When we're honest, that is.

And it is most definitely every single one of us who encourages our political representatives to use bullying and manipulation and intimidation to get our way. No matter how self-destructive it so clearly is. To anyone with any kind of honest impulse in the world. Even you, James Carville.

We are a species of shitheads. Homo sapiens, that is. Always been true, at some level. As long as we have lived long enough to mistrust one another. Meaning as soon as Fox News took the airways.

And, like every real moment of progress in our history, we will not get better by success or intelligence, primarily.

We'll get better because being a shithead is a sure road to failure. And sometimes you just have to fall on your head enough times to get the lesson that noone's going to put up with your sorry ass if you can't face up. Unless you're member of the Catholic clergy, that is.

And that is the real story of human history. When all the gloss and bullshit doesn't fuck up the view.

And that, as it turns out, is the last word on power.

Until some other kid comes around and makes all of us look like the damned fools that we are.

Kids these days.

Gotta love 'em.

If you know what's good for you.