All power tends to coopt, and absolute power coopts absolutely.

Alasdair MacIntyre
About This Quote

All power tends to coopt, and absolute power coopts absolutely is a quote from the American author and statesman, Benjamin Franklin. The idea is that no matter how democratic or republican your country is, the power of the state will eventually become absolute. A good example of this in modern times would be the United States. Before the Revolutionary War, the American colonists were free and had a democratic republic.

But, after the war and with their victory, they had to depend on Britain’s help. The British used their power to coerce the Americans into paying taxes and to obey laws that they didn’t like. If anything happened that was against Britain’s interests (such as slavery) they would use their power to get rid of it.

As a result, America became a monarchy with absolute power for Britain.

Source: After Virtue: A Study In Moral Theory

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