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Cory Liu's avatar

Rob Henderson does it again. Fabulous article. I watched many of these dynamics play out recently on my condo board.

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Technically Catholic's avatar

The last section dealing with authoritarianism brought to mind Paradise Lost.

Would we rather rule in hell, a violent state with the chance to enslave/be enslaved, or serve in heaven, the peaceful state of being content with the wife of your youth?

The communist party advertises egalitarianism to the masses, but the ruthless know that they will become true alphas. Thus they will do whatever it takes to erect the workers’ paradise - with themselves in “temporary” control.

Constitutional democracy says that each can rest under his own vine and his own fig tree - as long as he keeps his rifle handy and his powder dry. The ruthless will, of course, try to gain control. But faced with a multitude of independent, powerful and free individuals the ruthless will have very small fiefdoms.

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