The Politics of Power and Love  - Barry Oshry

I. Power versus Love
Politics
is the ongoing battle
between Power
and Love.
 
Power promises
freedom;
Love promises
equality and unity.
 
Power says:
Let us freely compete
and we will create
great wealth and
products and services
beyond one’s imagination.
 
Love says:
Let us join together
and create a world
in which all are equal
and all are unified
in the service of the whole.
 
Power says:
The ultimate value is
the freedom and uniqueness of the individual.
 
Love says:
The ultimate value
is the equality of members
and the unity of the whole.
 
Power says:
Down with equality and unity!
Where there is equality and unity
there can be no freedom and uniqueness of the individual.
 
Love says:
Down with freedom and uniqueness!
Where there is uniqueness and freedom
there can be no equality and unity.

II. The Bitter Fruits of Power and Love
Power says to Love:
Here are the bitter fruits of your unity:
the suppression of the individual,
the suppression of free speech,
the suppression of dissenters,
the suppression of innovation,
the suppression of entrepreneurism,
gulags, education centers, asylums, and assassinations for dissenters,
an anemic economy with poor quality products and services,
and dictators who determine the details of your life.
 
Love says to Power:
Here are the bitter fruits of your freedom:
a shallow society obsessed with money,
a shallow society obsessed with the accumulation of goods.
the planned obsolescence of products, waste,
grotesque inequality in wealth and power,
a permanent class of inherited (unearned) wealth,
a permanent underclass with few resources for growth,
greed, at the cost of
risky financial instruments,
poisoned rivers and oceans,
a deteriorating environment.
 
III. The End of Power and Love
Pure systems -
both Power and Love -
self-destruct.
 
Love says to Power:
Your demise will come from
an economic rebellion,
fired by the outrage of the Have-Nots
yearning for equality:
for Love.
 
Power says to Love:
Your demise will come from
a political revolution,
fired by the outrage of the suppressed
yearning for freedom:
for Power.
 

 
IV. The Struggle for Survival 
Power systems,
(despite opposition from Power purists)
save themselves from the economic revolution of the Have-nots
by bringing some limited Love – equality - into the system:
increased taxes on the Haves,
increased wages for the Have-nots,
preferential treatment for the Have-nots,
increased benefits for the Have-nots:
supports for the Have-nots: healthcare, childcare, education.
 
 
Love systems,
(despite opposition from Love purists)
save themselves from the political revolution of the suppressed
by bringing some limited Power – freedom – into the system:
some limited freedom of movement and expression,
some limited entrepreneurial opportunities.
 

 
V. The Politics Continue
Power-plus-a-little-Love systems survive
with their fundamental principles intact:
freedom, the uniqueness of members,
and the value of competition.
However, such systems
have too much Love for the Power purist
and not enough Love for the Love purist.
So, internal tensions persist.
 
 
Love- plus-a-little-Power systems survive
with their fundamental principles intact:
the equality and unity of members
and the value of cooperation.
However, such systems
have too much Power for the Love purist
and not enough Power for the Power purist.
So, internal tensions persist.
 
And the politics of Power versus Love continues. ​

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