limits on power
Liberals have often said something like this: Positions of power offer a chance to abuse that power, and so they often attract people who are eager to abuse that power. Our job in a democracy is then to try to keep abusers out of these positions of the public trust, and instead find ways to put good people into those positions —– people less likely to abuse them. Conservatives, I think, have the more realistic idea: It's in the nature of humanity to abuse power. From the Ring of Gyges to today's parents and police and policitians —– every position of power you've ever had you have in some way, even a small way, abused. We're humans. No one is above this human frailty. The search for "the best people" will always wind up in disaster because, as the man said, "Is there one who is righteous? No, not one." Our job in a democracy is then to try to ...
