In his History of the Peloponnesian War Thucydides writes, “Everyone commands when he has the power to do so.” In his formulation, power is its own purpose. One’s power to control is limited only by the opposition’s power to hinder one’s control.
This is a zero-sum estimation of politics and governance. Thucydides wrote a history describing the collapse of the Greek alliance and its ensuing civil war. He described a time when one either won or one lost everything — one’s opposition had to be destroyed or at some point they would dominate you.
Democracies cannot exist in a zero-sum calculation. Those who lose a vote must assure their followers that the vote was sound and fair, and that they will try again the next time.
A zero-sum calculation and vision of politics assumes that at some point it will be necessary for the victors to use State violence to enforce their commands. ‘Commands’ is the right verb to use. In a zero-sum polity, ‘commands’ is all that stands between the victors and the losers. Not persuasion. Not fair elections. Commands and violence.
It is always necessary to think of violence in personal terms, to erase abstractions, to avoid jargon and euphemisms at all costs. Do you hear any language of violence out there now? Talk of enemies? Talk of betrayal? Talk of retribution? Violence in political language always precedes actual political violence. It is not a direct cause and effect but an indicator, a hot, hot wind that might presage fire and ruin.
Therefore, it helps to consider these questions and thus to take seriously such violent innuendo:
What kinds of opponents will be marked for State murder?
Who will give the orders to murder them?
Who will carry out those orders?
How will the propaganda outlets of the State and its TV and internet allies justify these murders?
If you hear anyone say it is time to go after traitors, to take back the country — by force if necessary, ask them this: who will they kill? What are their names? Always this — what are their names?
