I wrote this about 2 years ago. In light of the economic collapse, too bad it came true.

....

An Essay Regarding the Nature of Power and How It Acts In and Through America.

Or,

A Rambling Diatribe of Hogwash

Friends,

Human nature and, indeed, all of nature, follows strikingly similar patterns. It is the accumulation and diffusion of power across the spectrum that I speak of. You can see it oft repeated in a myriad of forms. To make the point simple, in ancient (and modern) times a nation would build itself up to a state of concentrated power and then, naturally, expand. When all the sectors of society were reaching peak development; the economical, political, and martial forces were stable and abundant and the collective eyes, satisfied, lifted from their domain, what did they do? They scanned the horizon and set forth their power on the nearest, weakest, state. Is it moral or not? It doesn't matter, to quote Nietzsche:

"[Anything which] is a living and not a dying body... will have to be an incarnate will to power, it will strive to grow, spread, seize, become predominant — not from any morality or immorality but because it is living and because life simply is will to power... 'Exploitation'... belongs to the essence of what lives, as a basic organic function; it is a consequence of the will to power, which is after all the will to life."

So this is what humans do, patterned after (often unbeknownst to us) the same laws adhered to by all of what is organic, mathematical, psychic, or physical. After all, it is only natural.

You see it when water from on high rushes down low, when electrons course from the point of abundance to the point of scarcity, when hot air moves to colder regions, when the neurons in brain compete, when stronger plants overtake the weaker. Power, in all its forms, seeks collection and diffusion. The age old pattern of yin and yang. When force becomes ample enough to overcome inertia, objects move and energy is expended. Both Miyamoto Musashi and Sun Tzu used natural metaphors like these in their explanations of philosophical and martial arts. It is evident in the laws of supply and demand, of cause and effect.

Such natural patterns create their own counter-currents, often to the detriment of the original force. Power, equally diffused, creates a stasis. If over-extended past the ability for self-containment: it collapses. Think of the different economic bubbles that have risen and imploded. If the system is not carefully controlled to provide support for the extension, the only other option besides dissolution is contraction.

We can see this playing out on several levels in America today. For instance, how can a group of ordinary citizens, of only moderate education, sometimes poorly informed, of average incomes, with little coherence in ideologies, ever hope to check the concentrated power of conglomerates of corporations motivated by a single intent? Possessing billions of dollars of capital and millions more of revenue, staffed by (sometimes) highly educated, focused, and determined individuals, they employ the services of tenacious lobbyists, sometimes numbering into the hundreds. They use any machination at their disposal to advance their aims. Sometimes their aim is to do good for many, but considering the predisposition of human nature to hoard wealth and suppress rivals, most of time it is not. Not necessarily "evil" but usually myopic. How can the people check this? They cannot. Not without creating greater cohesion. Enforcing the will of those with concentrated power against a soft and divided opposition is as easy as throwing stones at eggs. So when corporations, or militaries, or religious organizations, abundant with power, apply their focused, sharpened, point against the soft underbelly of an unaware public, they penetrate into the guts of the system, mostly for their gain but often resulting in rupture. When they become more powerful than the governments, they over-ride the intent of democracy, breaking past the barriers of regulation, and turn the system against its own interests. Then we get things like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (and hundreds like it) which, some say, is one of the principal causes of the collapse of our economy today. We get defense contractors embedded in "think tanks" with their war machines and "security companies" (i.e. mercenaries) hoping for sustained conflict, supported by their hawk politicians, who influence our war policy. Energy conglomerates making record profits, impervious to the cries of the people, while ever expanding their grip and influencing our energy policies. Lucrative prison contracts encourage people to meddle in our judicial system. Giant agriculture and manufacturing companies press into our trade policies. Alcohol and pharmaceutical advocates shape our drug policies. Subtract the capitalistic portion from the equation, and you still have powerful groups that want to monopolize moral legislation, cultural confederates that influence immigration, and many others. How many people on the street know what goes on in Congress? These companies and factions are not inherently the enemy of the people, they are part of the people, all play a part of and add to the quality of the system, but only when allowed to operate within the bounds of moderation. A little bit of aspirin does wonders, too much of it kills. When a group obtains more power than the rest, it becomes a hungry animal seeking to expand. It is hard to blame these groups or companies because they are only doing what human animals do. But just because you understand the nature of wolves doesn't mean you should encourage them to breed in your backyard. Power, left unchecked and unregulated, destroys the system that creates it. Its just like how too many parasites will inadvertently kill their host, too many bunnies will out breed their food source, and a fire will burn itself out when it consumes everything around it. It is sometimes unfortunate, sometimes advantageous, but regardless, it is natural. As with most natural things, it can be studied, harnessed, and ultimately controlled.

On a higher spectrum we can see it in the ever expanding arm of the USA. As factions within our society work to increase and discharge their power, we as a nation are doing the same on the global stage. The parallel is striking. We had the opportunity, created by a plethora of natural resources and opportune location, to amass a large degree of power, which we did. Then, as natural as dogs bark and birds sing, we began to slowly exert our power around us. It is as irresistible as a cookie in the jar is to a kid or a coin in the reach of a thief. It is part of our nature. Are we acting like some of the corporations within us, destroying the very system that allowed us to flourish? Or are we engaged in a healthy pattern of self-sufficiency that buttresses our growth? Is our aim to do good for many, or are we using any machination at our dispose to hoard wealth and suppress our rivals? Probably a bit of both.

We have world wide span. But for how long and how far can we continue to expand our interests? Now, as while we pour millions of dollars outward- whether, as some claim, to strengthen the imperialistic grip of our holdings or to do, in the spirit of high morals and camaraderie, genuine good for other nations, our economy is beginning to crumble beneath us. Ruptured by companies with more power than our government. What are the likely outcomes? In concurrence with the laws of the universe,

1. A conscious strengthening of the base, increasing the level of power and creating another cycle of expansion- which is subject to the law of diminishing returns.

2. Contraction and refocus.

3. Becoming temporarily static.

4. Or collapse.

If we are not aware of our own checks and balances as they are now, and the future consequences they will entail, we will be checked by the growing power of other states around us, indeed we already are (China and Japan already has our purse strings and Russia is beginning to reclaim what was once hers) or more likely, we will crumple under the continued pressure and exploitation of powerful corporations.

Do we still have a lot of influence left in us? Of course. Should we use it? I don't know- but I suspect that we are incapable of doing otherwise. Do we still have time to alter some of our less nationally interested legislation? I hope so. Do we as a nation have, most of the time, good intentions and who tries to be the best global partner we can be? I'd like to think so. But good intentions are not enough, if we do not alleviate our ignorance regarding the nature of power, as it swirls around the guts of our system and how it flows through us as a nation onto the world stage, then we are doomed to complete the pattern of ascension and implosion.

Without the ever needed conscientious re-calibration of our system, devoid of the over-influence of corporations and meddling of self-interested factions, we too will collapse.

After all, it's only natural.

Fin.

Epilogue:

Despite the fatalist tone of my essay, I remain an eternal optimist in the power of the people to elevate ourselves above our lower instincts into higher thoughts. Despite a proclivity for greed, we also have an equally powerful instinct to find common ground and care for our neighbors. Nor am I an anti-capitalist, but only an advocate of moderation. I firmly believe that an educated and compassionate people is always an effective antidote to the more corrosive elements of our society. Even the most powerful factions of our society whether they be corporations or political parties can be, and often are, agents of goodwill if properly motivated. For even the savage wolf can become, with care and attention, a loyal canine and good friend.