Aristotle On The NSA, Edward Snowden, And Gun Control

The more things change the more they stay the same. This post is not a left - right or Democrat - Republican post. This is a "reality filter" post. It's easy, just take whatever politician or group and apply this filter to identify the tyrant's. Written by Aristotle himself it should have some credibility on ATS, right? As I read through and apply this filter to the president the results are obvious.

2,400 Year Old Wisdom On The NSA, Edward Snowden, And Gun Control

Nearly 2,400 years ago, Aristotle wrote one of the defining works of political philosophy in a book entitled Politics.

Aristotle attacks tyrants mercilessly in his book, and clearly spells out the criteria which make a leader tyrannical. You may recognize a few of them

So Aristotle, give us a few ideas about how to identify tyrants in our mists.

“A tyrant should also endeavor to know what each of his subjects says or does, and should employ spies . . . and . . . eavesdroppers . . . [T]he fear of informers prevents people from speaking their minds, and if they do, they are more easily found out.”

Spies huh. We got bags of spies. They're everywhere listening to everyone and everything. OK, what else should we be aware of?

“Another practice of tyrants is to multiply taxes. . . [and] impoverish his subjects; he thus provides against the maintenance of a guard by the citizen and the people, having to keep hard at work, are prevented from conspiring.”

Loads of taxes, check. We've got those. We've got taxes on our taxes. What else?

a tyrant also attempts to disarm the people such that “his subjects shall be incapable of action” because “they will not attempt to overthrow a tyranny, if they are powerless.”

Weapons control, check. Can't have responsible citizens armed because... well they're responsible and might decide to do something about the tyrant. Anything else?

“It is characteristic of a tyrant to dislike everyone who has dignity or independence; he wants to be alone in his glory, but anyone who claims a like dignity or asserts his independence encroaches upon his perogative, and is hated by him as an enemy to his power."

So make them dependent and anyone speaking out against the tyrant is evil, check. Any final words on the subject of tyranny for us Aristotle?

“No freeman, if he can escape from [tyranny], will endure such a government.”

Many thanks to you Aristotle, we are always happy to have you speak with us. Perhaps we will even be able to use what you say to enlighten others... maybe we can even free ourselves.

Addendum - My friends, we in the US do now live under tyranny. Let us oppose it at every point and may we have the strength to overcome.

I always prefer this guy for the current disgrace of the union.

"A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear." — Marcus Tullius Cicero