Power and Morality
Like religion, power positions itself as the cure for the problem it has created.
Power without ethics creates elites who determine “reality” and create structures such as governments, religion, science institutions etc. They rely on “experts” who deliberately make simple reason too complex for the “ordinary”. Leaders manipulate reality and reason to suit. It is a powerful weapon. They never reflect on or criticise themselves and discourage and penalise others who do. But our weapon is simplicity and common sense.
Power comes not from the use of but control of knowledge. Possession, use and control of knowledge creates “experts” who hold the knowledge and dish out the “answers”. Secrecy is one of the keys to modern power.
The written/spoken word, language and criticism frightens power elites. Writers are silenced through discrediting, censorship, imprisonment and violence. But the powers can’t totally control language. It can be more dangerous than the armed forces.
Language has been imprisoned and freed, imprisoned and freed throughout history. Wordsmiths use clarity to liberate and educate people. Wordsmiths who serve power structures use obscurity and complexity to confuse and make inaccessible – furthering elitism. Such language is used as a shield by the masters.
For over 400 years we’ve been obsessed with progress and making people servile to structures – this is called the Age of Reason. Pretending “reason” creates a “moral weapon”. “Reason” might lead to “greatest good” but it has been narrowed down to mean the Churches’ realities and truths.
Reason now obscures and downgrades the importance of spirit, intuition, emotion and experience. The 20th century has continued to use violence and power to justify the “rational” (eg. 6 million Jews murdered). The drive for power is valued and socially approved.
If given the chance, every system from capitalism to communism will corrupt public officials and allow corporate rule. Unemotional “logic” will be applied to every decision.
There is a new trinity – organisation, technology and information. The new High Priest is a technocrat divorced from morality, which once justified reason’s strength. The amoral quality in leaders and technocrats is perfectly suited to their position and tasks.
Jill – from old notes discovered dog-eared and dusty. Maybe from a radio interview.