Politics for Tyrants

Hey Guys,

I agree with two things, now more than ever. One, that it's the end of the world as we know it, and two, as usual, that I feel fine. I've got love, good friends, good food, work that keeps me interested, and my kids aren't in jail. What more could someone ask for, besides fresh guacamole or a better parking spot? Life, in the big picture, is quite good.

It's reasonable to feel otherwise, though. Political violence seems to be on the rise, and if it couldn't get any worse than that, Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae are doing songs together, and charting at number 7. What's next? Will Taylor Swift marry a thick-headed football player? Surely not.

This Wednesday, Charlie Kirk was killed by a gunshot from around 200 yards away while speaking in front of a large crowd at his event at Utah Valley University. He was responding to a question challenging his views on gun violence, seconds before a bullet hit his neck. Kirk has said that some deaths are "worth it" to protect Second Amendment gun rights, a belief I wonder if his poor children will defend in the future. He called the Amendment a critical means to “defend yourself against a tyrannical government.” Some would say he was a key figure bringing one into power.

But what makes such a government? I think it's obvious.

On Seinfeld, The Soup Nazi insisted that you follow unreasonable rules to place an order in his store. You will need to honor him sufficiently to be sure you get bread with your soup. If you question his judgment, he'll snatch the soup right out of your hands. Let him catch you cutting in line, and you'll never get soup again.

People may think it's unreasonable, but the Soup Nazi suffers for his soup. He expects perfection from himself and from his soup. How can he expect any less from his customer?

When a Soup Nazi takes charge, he sets the rules. And if you do anything but submit to his point of view, you will be subject to his wrath and likely be cast into outer darkness. He believed that those who didn't meet his expectations were tyrants, and because of that, he was justified in his actions.

The only problem the Soup Nazi has is Elaine. She has a different opinion of the rules of Soup Nazi-ism. She had disdain for his harsh approach from the outset. She believed everyone deserves to get a nice bowl of soup, because after all, they're paying for it. She stood up to him and exposed him after finding his old letters. Her friends warned her not to cause any trouble down at that soup stand, but she had no patience for his antics. Elaine believed the Soup Nazi was the tyrant, so she was justified in her actions.

The classic definition of a tyrannical government has evolved. The meaning of tyranny, and what it looks like in Government, is as clear as a bowl of mulligatawny. Scholars define tyranny as "all government unjustly exercised, without the restraint of the laws." Ellaine, having the power of the Soup Stand's founding documents, believed the Soup Nazi was unjustly exercising his power outside of the rule of law.

The Soup Nazi believes that he is the law, and what he says goes. Some will follow him because they believe it. Others will keep a low profile so they can enjoy their soup in peace.

A select few will champion his cause and create a movement of supporters. Inevitably, that will give rise to a countermovement of detractors, each group calling the other tyrants.

The result will be those on the extreme acting in extreme ways. The lack of consensus means that tyranny has no meaning at all, and we'll argue about which side is just and which side is the tyrant. In the end, we're left only with the definition that lives in the mind of the man with the gun.

That's it for this week.

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Have a great weekend!