Power - does it corrupt, or just shift your value system?

Question

Who'd have thought 20 years ago that they'd hear "Red Ken" on the radio defending the Police over the shooting of an innocent black man?

Jack Straw was once a left-wing firebrand. Tony Blair was a member of CND in his younger days.

Do people naturally move right as they get older, or is it a case of changing your political stance to whatever wins you the votes that keep you in power?

Answer 1

power seduces and corrupts, tony blair is the best example, he had the countrys` hopes in his hands, but soon got seduced by power weilding nutters like george bush, he just craved power and world standing after that...i cant think of better example of a man seduced by the dark side !!!

Answer 2

because they're wasteful. If an island eats one hundred loafs an afternoon, if it has a loose market there will be a 1000 baked, taking on baker-shops, grain,capacity, and baker's time which all would nicely be placed to apply elsewhere. it would make the bread 10 cases as extreme priced at the same time as it is composed of experienced paintings, loose market can carry about a subject matter the position 2 hundred communities grant a mediocre service, really than a one hundred communities providing a good service. it is why guilds existed: ward off competition to keep up,high quality and safe practices for guildmembers. So if my united states needs one hundred new dentists a 365 days, does a govt have the right to ascertain that a minimum of that many (yet no longer numerous thousands) graduate? convinced. Therefor i'm a lefty yet no longer a libertarian contained in the sence i imagine you're pertaining to. I merely do not see the point in pigcycles (classes of too a lot and too little alternating back and back)

Answer 3

Yes, people tend to become more 'conservative' as they get older. In part, that's because a successful liberal who achieves social change when younger, will want to preserve those successes later in life - and preserving tradition is a conservative thing.

And, yes, power corrupts. That's why many modern systems of government try to limit the power held by any one individual.

Answer 4

I have to believe that some people, even politicians do get wiser as they gain age and insight.. However, there are exceptions to that rule.. Bush and Cheney have proven that.. power is all that matters to either of them.

Will they leave office and become great do gooders.. maybe.. but I doubt it.. their kind of selfishness is inbred.. but I will pray for them, just the same.

Answer 5

Red Ken needs support to keep his position.
Perhaps power does corrupt

Answer 6

Right ON IT in every aspect sir. People who go into politics are not people you can trust anyway. Power, or the promise of power/money is very seductive.

Answer 7

Power corrupts, Ultimate power corrupts ultimately. Every wealthy person is only relatively better off - because of poverty. They may have billions - they hang on to it too.

Answer 8

Power corrupts. Unless you know how to handle it, and in polotics, you need power to maintain authority. I generally the polotics system is corupt, they don't care baout th people they govern, only what make their polocy better.

Answer 9

Actually, power does not corrupt but rather corrupt people seek power. The greater their corruption, the greater the power they seek. case in point GWB.

Answer 10

Power only exists when there is no resistance to it.

The public allows this to happen too often.