Transmogrify Inc.: Machiavellian Mindset

Machiavellianism is also a term that some social and personality psychologists use to describe a person's tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain.

In an episode of Inspector Morse, a university chancellor admits to Morse that he has manipulated one of the staff's wives into sexual intercourse with the idea that her husband could be promoted by the chancellor. When Morse asks him why he did that his response, written by author and creator of Morse Colin Dexter is succinct:

"What is the use of having power if you can't abuse it?"

In my opinion that is the best dialog ever put to audio track in any entertainment. Thank you, Mr. Colin Dexter.

Maybe the most extreme abuse of power is slavery. We have so many kinds of slavery that its meaning can be lost, so lets start with the most pervasive kind of slavery:

Military slavery: in every military there is uniformity and submersion of the human element. The military man must obey a dictator without question or face severe consequences. Every society calls this "patriotism" and an "honor" to serve. So the dictator, even if just a one term dictator, like American presidents, the fact remains: the dictator has absolute control over the military. Being military; they usually carry the most deadly of weapons and the civilian population does not have a chance of negotiating with them on any level. So the slavery cuts both ways. In conclusion, the dictator is usually a puppet to someone whose agenda is usually well hidden but with a timeless theme: what is the use of having power if you can't abuse it?

So we live in mental and physical cages fabricated for us by the strongest and most sadisticly clever among us. The cages have been created via "education" and mass media to produce obedient and uniform thinkers. So the only means of earning a living becomes some form of slavery and obedience to a greater cause, and the greater cause is always a dictator of some kind who ascribes his actions to a celestial being whom he has exclusive access. The actions of the dictator cannot be questioned because the nebulous celestial deity is merely a distraction from the dictator's true agenda: the abuse of power. It is the abuse of power that proves the most pleasurable and addictive "substance" known to man. The supporters of wildly powerful people usually end up just like the protesters:

"Whatever the price of the Chinese Revolution, it has obviously succeeded not only in producing more efficient and dedicated administration, but also in fostering high morale and community of purpose. The social experiment in China under Chairman Mao's leadership is one of the most important and successful in human history."– David Rockefeller

Now, poor David Rockefeller is not a bad man, he is a philanthropic one. He has never done anything bad. He's charming, thoughtful, intelligent and perhaps the most powerful man on earth. If he needs something done, he delegates it. Remember, if more than one are at fault, no one is to blame. So the simple process of delegation makes the dictator's act good, the onus is upon the administrator to evaluate the the intrinsic value of an act as good or bad. We'll just ignore the concept of "collusion" or blind obedience; they just stand in the way of an "effective" administration. Besides, good and bad are subjective terms.

You see, when a person gets that much power, that person is really more than a "god." With a larger population and mind-blowing technological and scientific advances the ancient definition of "god" is no longer valid. I suspect that is what Nietzsche was getting at. So, when Dave speaks; his power elevates him above any "moral" issues.