[WikiEN-l] Wilson Quote

[K P]

On 5/15/07, Marc Riddell <michaeldavid86 at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Folks,
>
> I was thinking about the discussion of the Wikipedia Community and this
> 1917
> Wilson quote came to my mind:
>
> "The question upon which the whole future peace and policy of the world
> depends is this: Is the present war a struggle for a just and secure
> peace,
> or only for a new balance of power? If it be only a struggle for a new
> balance of power, who will guarantee, who can guarantee, the stable
> equilibrium of the new arrangement? Š There must be, not a balance of
> power,
> but a community of power; not organized rivalries, but an organized common
> peace."
>
> Marc Riddell
>
>
>
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Right on target, this quote by Wilson, who by his very inflexible nature
guaranteed precisely what he so loftily preached against.  Human beings will
always seek power--it seems so obvious that this is the least thing humans
should get about other humans. Oh, and the monstrosity of the ego that
thinks if only I had the power all would be well, it's only other humans who
abuse their power (for me, this is true, although it's not true for every
human on the planet). so long as I control the situation and the direction,
all will function well.  Power corrupts, admins have it, editors are peons
compared to them, and once anyone has power there is no incentive for
relenquishing it, other than more power, or the purchasing power to buy it.
Admins as temporary is a good idea.

I also have to wonder about keeping something broken just because something
else might break worse.  It's not a fix.

KP