The ambush that took place in the White House Oval Office last week on the President of the Ukraine by U.S. President Trump and Vice-President Vance, brought to mind one of the classic episodes of the classic T.V. 1960’s series the Twilight Zone. The episode was, It’s a Good Life, which first aired on November 3, 1961.
Here is a partial plot summary from Wikipedia which give a
good summary of why this episode was dredged up from the depths of my memory:
Six-year-old Anthony Fremont has godlike mental
powers, including mind-reading. He has isolated his town of Peaksville, Ohio,
from the rest of the universe. The people must grow their own food, and
supplies of common household items, such as bar soap, have been dwindling. He
has blocked television signals and caused cars not to work. He creates
grotesque creatures, such as three-headed gophers, which he then kills.
Everybody is under his rule, even his parents.
The people live in fear of Anthony, constantly
telling him how everything he does is "good", since he banishes
anyone thinking unhappy thoughts forever to a place that he calls "the
cornfield." Having never experienced any form of discipline, he does not
understand that his actions are harmful. He is confused when his father tells
him that the neighbors are reluctant to let their children play with him after
he sent several of his playmates to the cornfield.
This does seem to be prescient warning about what can happen
when someone who has no moral compass and has not been taught no constraints
about wanting everything and being given absolute – or almost absolute
power. The havoc that can be wreaked is almost
beyond our imagination – but not completely - as shown in the Twilight Zone
episode.
The dangers and challenges of great/absolute power has been
recognized since time immemorial. The
famous saying, with great power comes great responsibility, originated with French
philosopher Voltaire and spilled into the culture by Uncle Ben's cautionary
warning to a young Spider-Man’s altar ego Peter Parker.
The danger of unchecked power even arose in the apocryphal stories
about the life of a divine child i.e. Jesus the future Christ, with the
potential for divine abilities. One
example shows him using his divine abilities to less than harmless results:
IV. 1 After that again he went through the village
and a child ran and dashed against his shoulder. And Jesus was provoked and
said unto him: Thou shalt not finish thy course (lit. go all thy way). And
immediately he fell down and died. But certain when they saw what was done
said: Whence was this young child born, for that every word of his is an
accomplished work? And the parents of him that was dead came unto Joseph, and
blamed him, saying: Thou that hast such a child canst not dwell with us in the
village: or do thou teach him to bless and not to curse: for he slayeth our
children.
So, you can see that great power does not necessarily lead
to great irresponsibility and chaos, as in the case of the mature Jesus. However, it can, as it seems to be
manifesting in the current U.S. President.
It led to wonderful things in this case, but it seems less to have good
results in the case of President Trump.
However, miracles do happen.
I hope your encounters with power may be a blessing for you
on your journey.
