The Authoritarians explains this CS Lewis quote.
TOLFTRP
"That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended-
civilizations are built up-excellent institutions devised; but each
time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish
and cruel people to the top, and then it all slides back into misery
and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right
and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down."
Dr. Bob, you've identified the fatal flaw as the double highs and
provided further insight as to how the selfish and cruel people think.
I'd ask "What can be done?" but that seems like a RWA type question.
Flex
as it seems to follow too closely to the great-man theory.
Here are a couple of things to consider.
How many actual times in history has the general level of man-kinds
level of existance slid back into misery and ruin?
Think carefully now. We're not talking about empires, kingdoms, or
nations. Or emperors, popes, or kings. I'd also exclude the
transitory times of wars and civil unrest. For example, the French
Revolution and subsequent Napoleaonic Empire devastated France,
including it's peasantry, for about 20 years. If you managed to live
through it, as a peasant, your lifestyle and standard of living wasn't
very much different than it was before. It might have even
improved.
Think in terms of technology available to the general population and
you will find that there has been a general increase all through
history.
On the other hand, I'm reading Toynbee's, A Study of History, right
now and I'm finding his systems view of civilizations and culture
fascinating. He tends to seperate societies and cultures by their
ideas and culture, so the view of law being applicable to all citizens
of a state is a western cultural idea dating from the late middle-ages
which was not accepted in, say, eastern Europe for hundred of years
after France and England had adopted it. So this is another view of
history.
If you are at all interested in history, I would highly recommend Marc
Bloch's, The Historian's Craft, as a good introduction into how
historians think.
Finally, history is fore-shortened to our perceptions. Five years ago
America hadn't invaded Iraq. But the breakup of the Roman Empire took
200 years, and we say that it 'fell'. The Byzantine empire lasted a
thousand years, or fifty generations. I don't know if you think that
this is an example of C.S. Lewis' idea of 'running a few yards', but
as recorded history is only about seven thousand years long, lasting
for 1/7 of that time is no slouch in my book (and if you consider, as
the Byzantine's did, that they were just continuing the Roman Empire,
you can tack on another 700 years).
The double-high RWA's carry the seeds of their own distruction. Even
if they manage to live out their entire lives, they typically have a
hard time successfully anointing a successor. Even if a successor is
chosen, and even if that successor is a double high, the odds are also
pretty good that the successor will take the followers in a different
direction than the founders of any particular segment of society.
Think of how much the Mormon religion changed once Brigham Young took
over. Or the direction France took under Napoleon III compared to
Napoleon Bonaparte.
Of course, by the time the current American double-high administration
finishes, many of the freedoms Americans enjoy may be gone. But if
this, or any other, administration abuses their power too much, they
will be removed. Many of the freedoms we have are only important when
the enforcers of a state enter our lives. The elimination of habeas
corpus means nothing unless you are detained. Freedom of speech is
not a concern if what you say is of no concern to the authorities.
The right to peacable assemble or petition the government is not used
when there isn't a problem. These are important rights which we
should be willing to fight to retain, but many people won't bother
simply because the've never been in a situation where these rights are
important.
