Getting power and keeping it: The fight for balance of power has always been rough.

by Angela K. Durden
Technology inventor protecting creator's copyrights. Business writer, novelist, songwriter, and Citizen Journalist.


In most societies through the ages, the balance of power has always been unequal, though some societies have been more unequal than others. For instance, dictatorships, socialists, fascists, and communists are always the societies with the least amount of freedom, the worst economic base, and the least amount of innovation and productivity.

"Angela," you ask, "why have you not included super-controlling religious groups or the Far Left or Far Right in this list of the most unequal?"

"Because those are ultimately run by dictators, socialists, fascists, or communists, so why do I want to be redundant and waste your time?" You see how helpful I, Citizen Journalist, am to you?

So how do we keep some balance of power?

Why, "we" cannot do it until the individual does. Individuals do it through the building in themselves high-quality personal characters. Yes, morals and self-control and all that stuff that goes into making a solid foundation upon which to build a strong family and life, a well-functioning community, a harmonious state, and a defensible country.

But this fight for balance isn't just a personal character thing, though that is part of it. 

The bigger fight is against those who want to deprive others of personal liberty. The fight is against those who will use force to make the population at-large believe they have no free will and are too stupid to know what is best for themselves. 

Whether it be by force of law, force of political correctness, force of social engineering, and/or force of economic pressure, those who want to rule have no conscience in seeking that power. 

It falls to the man in the street to push against that evil.

That means you speaking up for, standing up against, being willing to call out all the little tyrannies that left unchecked lead to greater tyrannies.

It means when a teacher in a school is spouting the party line and requiring your children do anything that sucks the will out of them and deteriorates their personal power and choice, you speak up and do something.

It means when the leaders in your congregation twist scripture and claim as God-given dogma anything that is simply their opinion so they can get you to benefit them, you speak up and do something.

It means when the boss, neighbor, fellow employee, or whoever, even obliquely threatens to cut you off from services, friendship, help, economic success, or whatever unless you follow their dictates which ultimately will destroy a strong society, you stand firm and speak up and do something.

Marching in the streets for change is flashy and may make good photo ops, but the real work for real balance of power always has and always will remain with the good solid people who are willing to speak up and do something.

As the song written by writers Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, and Michael Mills, and recorded by R.E.M. says: 

Stand in the place where you live 

Now face north 

Think about direction 

Wonder why you haven't before 

Now stand in the place where you work

Now face west

Think about the place where you live

Wonder why you haven't before

If you are confused, check with the sun

Carry a compass to help you along

Your feet are going to be on the ground

Your head is there to move you around