Power Usually Corrupt the One who holds it

 

Power usually corrupt the one who holds it.                                                              

          

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of power is to possess control or command over others; to have authority. Having such superiority and influence may be appealing to some but, due to the amount of responsibility and pressure, others avoid such a position. However, these are not the only negative aspects of having power. In fact, having power can cause the loss of self control and allows greed to easily take over. In other words, if not monitored carefully, greed can easily corrupt those in power.

           Karl Marx is best known as a revolutionary communist, whose work inspired the foundation of many communist regimes. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Marx’s ideology of communism was based on a classless society and his philosophy was to abolish private property and socialize all means of production so that no man or woman would ever have to fear poverty. However, greed being an innate characteristic, which easily corrupts peoples’ minds and damages what was initially a positive intention, can cause those with power to become corrupt. Therefore, being unable to manage or suppress these immoral urges can result in devastating outcomes, such as a harsh, dictatorship style society.

           North Korea’s first leader Kim Il Sung, originally rallied troops to fight against the Japanese who ruled over Korea however after they gained their independence, and the amount of respect and power he had grew, his selfish desires took over and he became a corrupt leader. The power Kim Il Sung had turned into greed, “an excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions” (Dictionary.com), which resulted in the devastatingly impoverished state they are in now. Still to this day, countless lives are being lost and too many vulnerable citizens are laboring hard each day, just to feed themselves one or two poor quality meals, while the government of is ordered to spend revenue on building nuclear bombs. It is unfortunate how the desire for ultimate power has blurred what is moral and resulted in citizens facing great poverty and depression.

            Another example of a powerful leader who became corrupt is Emperor Caligula. Caligula began his political career as an admired leader, freeing unjustly punished prisoners and staging lavish events such as chariot racing and gladiator shows; however, soon he became a cruel and unpredictable leader, quoted by Biography.com. His desire for ultimate power and greed caused him to introduce heavy taxation on his people, for his own personal expenditures, stated by bbc.co.uk. Furthermore, similar to the North Korean leader, Caligula also forced his citizens to declare that he was a living god and erected statues for worship. Overall, it is evident that with power comes possible corruption. People in power seem to develop a sense of entitlement and superiority, which is why they easily become corrupt.

           In conclusion, having absolute power can easily lead to extreme greed, causing one to corrupt. Therefore, it is necessary for people to recognize and control these selfish urges and make sure the misuse of power or mistreatment of people does not occur. In the words of the Dalia Lama, individuals need to cultivate their power within: to understand and to know oneself and his/her ability to extend empathy to other living beings, instead of seeking control for their own benefit. Then, international communities need to intervene and protect the lives of innocent victims in countries with corrupt rulers, because is not that what being a global community is about? On the whole, people need to be active members of society making sure they do not allow their status or social hierarchy to influence the way they behave or what they believe, and make sure to value each life and the mistreatment of individuals is condemned.