Dear Friends,
It seems to me, even the most benevolent totalitarianism will result in evil. Because even the most enlightened, wise, learned and beneficent despot can only use the facts as they are known at the time. Facts evolve though. Making his or her efforts fruitless. Moreover, no one can know everything, despite our experts propaganda to the contrary. When an unlimited ruler then makes all the choices, those choices are necessarily made out of ignorance, and a belief in witchcraft. Plus, a despot is as pliable as anyone else. Which explains history. Every time all power has been invested in one person or aristocracy, other than for an emergency, it’s resulted in disaster. In fact the process has become normalized. So much so that the few examples of dictators who didn’t create disasters are notable.
How do we know what people want? Through elections, polls or by where they move given the chance? People can be convinced to vote for communism… but no sane person moves to a communist country. Muslims in the West demand Sharia and a Caliphate… but none want to move to Iran. In both cases, people tell us what they really want by their feet. Which means, our minds can be manipulated but our eyes can see. We become mesmerized by ideas, but we understand examples. Notions can take over our minds. So much so that we become “captured” by them. Instead of thinking for ourselves then, we adopt a programmed philosophy. Yet when given the option of moving to a country that has already adopted that philosophy, the example repels us.
The idea of a wise leader solving all our problems for us is very enticing. We’re often overwhelmed by life, and many would like nothing better than to have a benevolent white knight on a white horse, ride to our rescue. When focused on finding a white knight, examples of other white knights fall away. Castro was a white knight as was Pol Pot, Mao and Lenin. They claimed to have all the answers. Knowing it all they would usher in a golden age for the workers. All they needed was unlimited power. So the people worshiped them as heroes. But once their grip on power solidified into an iron fist, people fled them, and no one immigrates. Showing us the truth of white knights on white horses. The white on the armor is merely paint and a white horse isn’t really a horse.
Even if the White Knight really is a white knight, and not a Black Guard in drag, he’ll be unable to solve all the people’s problems. No matter how smart and wise he is or how unlimited the power in his hands. His best efforts will spin off to naught. Because facts change, knowledge is distributed and we’re easily manipulated. Look at the Covid fiasco. It’ll take decades for the medical community to win back most of the trust they lost over that. Incurious and sheep like, most doctors allowed their medical diagnosis and cures, to come from Facebook and Twitter. Heck, I could bypass the huge expense and go to Facebook myself. The shot they pushed on us, Covid spread in nursing homes, the lies about the origins, and the slandering of Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin, shredded their reputations.
Which means that even the most benevolent tyrant can only bring disaster and destruction. No matter how saintly her intentions and wise her actions, they will visit catastrophe over time. Because facts change, knowledge is distributed and we’re easily manipulated. Making the idea foolish, though glittering, that a knight on a white horse is able to save us. She may want to in the worst way, but her own ignorance, or perhaps knowledge, will trip her up. Plus, what’s to keep a beneficent despot from falling victim to some manipulation herself? Like our doctors? Then there’s the question of what do we really want? Many of us are tricked to marching to socialism or Islamism, when if given the chance, we flee to free markets and free societies. Showing even the most benevolent tyranny will result in disaster.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
