How did we get here? In the din of noise eating up the daily news cycle, the how is drowned out in the avalanche of sophistry promulgated by head shakers on both sides of the political divide. A working democracy requires understanding the difference between "power" and "authority."

Quoting my book, Sitting with Warrior, the following excerpt addresses this dynamic of self-rule:

“I was referring to the exercise of power, an area where the left habitually shoots itself in the foot. It is so tied to the principle of power moving from diversity of opinion to consensus to unity that it will sacrifice its unity over factional squabbles. There comes a time in any effort that the exercise of power must move from the hub of achievability, through the spokes of idealism, to what is attainable.

“The right understands this exercise of power. In fact, it is predicated on it. That’s the right’s strong point. Its weakness is in confusing power with authority. Authority is an invention of the human consciousness to gain power over life’s uncertainty. However, human invention is superseded by the nature of all things. That nature is bound up inseparably with free will. True authority is not an aspect of force, it is an aspect of supreme self-dominion to which others are drawn for the realization of their own self-dominion. As the epitome of the raider and conqueror, I know of what I speak. All dominion not derived through natural law must come to an inevitable end—must be either replaced or assimilated.”

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Copyright © 2010 by Carl Hitchens

Sitting With Warrior. iUniverse rev. date: 07/10/2013

Sitting With Warrior by Carl Hitchens

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