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Absolute power corrupts absolutely

23 January 2010 at 1634 in Commentary by Armando F. Mastrapa 3d

An Intercepted Correspondence, Cairo. Painting by John Frederick Lewis, 1868. (Image: The Economist)

The Economist published an interesting article on the psychology of power where a series of experiments were conducted in an attempt to elicit states of powerfulness and powerlessness in the minds of volunteers.

Taken together, these results do indeed suggest that power tends to corrupt and to promote a hypocritical tendency to hold other people to a higher standard than oneself…These results, then, suggest that the powerful do indeed behave hypocritically, condemning the transgressions of others more than they condemn their own…But another everyday observation is that powerful people who have been caught out often show little sign of contrition. It is not just that they abuse the system; they also seem to feel entitled to abuse it.

Read the full article here.

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Revolutionary gerontocracy

27 August 2009 at 0924 in Nomenklatura by Armando F. Mastrapa 3d

Aging nomenklatura. At top left top: Fidel Castro (83), Raul Castro (77), José Ramón Machado Ventura (78), Esteban Lazo (64); bottom left: Juan Almeida (81), Abelardo Colomé Ibarra (69), Ramiro Valdés (76), Guillermo García Frías (80). Image: La Opinión A Coruña

Aging nomenklatura. At top left: Fidel Castro (83), Raul Castro (77), José Ramón Machado Ventura (78), Esteban Lazo (64); bottom left: Juan Almeida (81), Abelardo Colomé Ibarra (69), Ramiro Valdés (76), Guillermo García Frías (80). Image: La Opinión A Coruña

Via Proceso:

Cuban authorities acknowledge the future of the revolution is in the hands of younger generations. However, the elderly dominate the pinnacle of power. The majority of members of the Politburo of the Cuban Communist Party – a major instance of power on the island – are septuagenarians.

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