Opus 2017-231: Aristotle on American Culture

I can’t remember where I was reading when I came across some of Aristotle’s comments on tyranny but I was able to locate them in his work, “Politics”.  This spurred me to find it at Project Gutenberg, download it and read the entire book.  The quotes are from that source, Book 5, Chapter 11, Kindle location 2816-2827.

Aristotle looks forward to the day that the NSA will be recording everything we do in life. 

“...for they all contribute to support slavery; and to endeavour to know what every one who is under their power does and says; and for this purpose to employ spies:...there is the less chance of its being concealed;...”

Obviously they did not have the electronic intrusions we have today but the intent is clear. 

Another goal is the politics of class warfare, race baiting and division.

“...to endeavour that the whole community should mutually accuse and come to blows with each other, friend with friend, the commons with the nobles, and the rich with each other.”

We saw this practiced by President Obama who constantly made race an issue and stirred up racial hatred every chance he got.  We see it in the Progressives (Democrats) who are always talking about the rich paying their fair share and ignoring that the poor don’t pay any share.  The goal is jealousy and division.

It is important to keep people living hand to mouth. 

“It is also advantageous for a tyranny that all those who are under it should be oppressed with poverty, that they may not be able to compose a guard; and that, being employed in procuring their daily bread, they may have no leisure to conspire against their tyrants. The Pyramids of Egypt are a proof of this,...”

People who are so exhausted from working long hours don’t have time to go to demonstrations.  One of the common characteristics of the snowflakes in the street is that they don’t seem to have real jobs.  They have plenty of time to protest.

Then you need high taxes.

“It is necessary also to multiply taxes, as at Syracuse; where Dionysius in the space of five years collected all the private property of his subjects into his own coffers.”

The Progressives want the government to own everything.  They want you on their trains, at their hospitals and in their housing.  It is easier to control you that way.  Tyranny is a word that we need to understand and apply.  It is alive and well in American politics.

homo unius libri