Can Power Exist Without Corruption?

by Michael Robson

It is the belief of many that the power base of our planet is what keeps our economy and civilization running, but whilst this may be true, there are however some that would rather think of it, it of course being power, as the part of our world that will destroy us. They support their beliefs on the foundations that these people who play god will destroy us simply because they know that they can. Whilst the opposing side would rather argue that there are those who are so pure of heart, and kind of soul that they would resist the corruption. During this article I will ponder both sides of the argument and strive to find the answer behind our very foundation of life.

 This debate dates back to, or possibly even before the Bible itself – the idea that God in the Bible was divine and yet had absolute power seems to me like one of the biggest paradoxes in our existence. There are moments when his apparent divinity seems to vanish, as he appears to be ‘unforgiving’ to say the least. He wipes out generations without batting an eye, purges the earth without shedding a tear and yet holds up his image of being pure. Yet, it may just be that with his character the means meet the end. For each of these occasions, he had done it for something he loved; he slaughtered thousands of young Egyptian children to save his children; he drowned the Earth to protect the idea of a sinless world. And yet after all this, there was still the shadow left over from those dark deeds.

But in other circumstances the goodness in others has overcome their corruption to let the light shine through and give people that they hold so close to their hearts everything they can, and put everything on the line for it. The truth of this is that most of these stories do not end happily and the selfless being who has giving no thought to their own well-being but devoting every waking moment of their life gives too much and in that final moment where most would find themselves weak in fear, the person we may call a hero defies this, and rejects the corruption. This may seem like I’m drifting off topic but in my mind I could not be closer since the road to corruption is paved with giving others away to save yourself.

There is a painting by an artist named Cleon Peterson, the piece is entitled “The Brinksman” throughout this piece we see gruesome scenes depicted of people painted in black ink, the corrupted ones, murder and abuse the humans in white ink, the powerless ones. Peterson himself described his work as “…a grey world where law breakers and law enforcers are one in the same; a world where ethics have been abandoned in favour of personal entitlement.” This is a perfect example of a great many of the historical events in our culture as humans when the powerless are oppressed and enslaved by those who could not care less about these innocent people whose lives they have crushed under their iron boots, as they trample through our world like an elephant on an ant hill.

One well known example who I’m sure has sprung into your minds as I have gone on about this topic is Hitler. Hitler regarded the unwritten rules that we all abide by day-to-day as a pathetic thing for those he hated to hide behind. Never could he have been more wrong in reality, it is these rules that need not be written, the rules carved into us all, implanted into our DNA for generations, above the long lost instinct to survive at all costs, that holds us all together and in turn keeps our demons at bay. However when these rules are ignored and thrown aside people cannot resist but to throw themselves at all those they deem unworthy, or simply displeasing until the very memory of them is eradicated.

I personally believe that whilst power keeps our lives in balance and stops us from losing control, it is when a being with immense power asks him or herself the question “How far can I go?” that the balance is tipped, and the light is lost. For when one tests their limits and finds that they have none, the human way of life shall indeed be nearing it’s end.  One of the oldest recorded quotes in the English language is that “power can be innocent” I believe this to be a lie. When one person has all that power, they’re a time bomb, and when they go off, we’re all going with them. The corruption of capabilities to cause absolute destruction is too much for anyone to handle. This is why organisations like the UN and NATO are so crucial to us that we cannot afford to let them go, because when they do those beings so pure of heart holding all the countries together and preventing anyone from pressing that fatal red button won’t be able to keep the world safe from itself from the ashes of their old organizations, and at that point we should all fear for everyone because we will be on the brink of the last fight humanity ever engages in, and it will not be against the fabled aliens from the sky or the demons from the depths of the Earth’s fiery core, but against ourselves. This war won’t have any survivors and that is why we must hope no one man ever will have all that power.

To conclude, despite how you may have just interpreted my opinion and whether or not you believe is entirely up to you. However in the end it doesn’t matter what we think as in the face of someone so great they could crush us all, our opinions would be trivial and meaningless. So the reality is that with power purity and corruption is like the Ying-Yang, black and white in perfect serenity together, just keeping each other at bay. Power cannot exist without corruption in the end, but it is the calibre of the soul that defines whether or not the corruption is given into. Only time will tell the true outcome of this scenario, but what do you think will happen – will the darkness consume all of a powerful being or will the light shine through?