The following is how Socrates described the behavior of a tyrant about 2400 years ago. It is so depressing to know that what is true before the birth of Christ is still true now. Inspite of all the technological advancements, more than half of the human race is still living under individual or group tyrany. 1. At first, in early days of power,he (the tyrant) is full of smiles, and he salutes everyone whom he meets; he to be called a tyrant, who is making promises in public and also in private! Liberating debtors, and wanting to be kind and good to everyone. 2. When he has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader. 3. He impoverishes the people by payment of taxes, and thus compelled to devote themselves to their daily wants and therefore less likely to conspire against him. 4.If any of them are suspected by him of having notions of freedom, and of resistance to his authority, he will have a good pretext for destroying them by placing them at the mercy of the enemy; and for all these reasons the tyrant must be always getting up a war. 5. Then some of those who joined in setting him up, and who are in power, speak their minds to him and to one another, and the more courageous of them cast in his teeth what is being done. And the tyrant if he must rule, must get rid of them; he cant stop while he has a friend or an enemy who is good for anything. 5. And therefore he must look about him and see who is viliant, who is high-minded, who is wealthy; happy man, he is the enemy of them all, and must seek occasion against them whether he will or no, until he has made a purgation of the State. 6. The more detestable his actions are to the citizens the more satellites and the greater devotion in them will he require. Then they will flock to him of their own accord, if he pays them. 7. He will rob the citizens of their slaves, he will then set them free and enroll them in his bodyguard. And these are the new citizens whom he has called into existence, who admire him are his companions, while the good hate and avoid him. 8. Eventually, when the people find how cruelly the tyrant oppreses them, they will try to drive him out. But by then he will be too strong for them. They will learn what tyrany of slave is. Does this ring a bell? Socrates wrote this 24 centuries ago, it is saddening to know that it is still happening today.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 03:48:21 +0000
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