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From: amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Power corrupts?  A note.
Message-ID: <454@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Jan-84 16:11:05 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.454
Posted: Tue Jan  3 16:11:05 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Jan-84 03:57:20 EST
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Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
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The original quote about power corrupting was from the 19th century
British statesman Mandell Creighton, who actually said "Power tends
to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."  Note that
this is not the same as the "Power corrupts..." version that we all
know.  What Creighton (any relation to Laura in Toronto?) was
trying to point out was that power per se does not necessarily
corrupt, but that it can present a temptation that far too many
people in power give into.

One of my favorite historical examples of this is Henry VIII's
Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey.  His residence at Hampton Court was
the finest house in England at the time it was built, and Wolsey, a
man of relatively modest means for one so high in power, had to get
the money for it somewhere.  When Wolsey fell from Henry's favor,
he was brought up on charges of official malfesance, particularly
misappropration of Crown funds and property.  In fact, the whole
business of persons in high religious office and high political
office is fascinating, as Jesus put it so well: "No man can serve
two masters.... One cannot serve both God and money."  See, for
example, besides Cardinal Wolsey, the Renaissance Popes, Cardinal
Richelieu, or the Ayatolla Khomeni.

				John Hobson
				AT&T Bell Labs
				Naperville, IL
				(312) 979-7293
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