2. A Rage for Power
Like in ancient and medieval times, the world powers do know they are to fight each other early or late. Also, they do know why they have to fight. That is a rage to live. The very fact is a casus belli. Right, the Peloponnesian War broke out between Sparta and Athens at the time of 431 B.C. They fought each other for twenty-eight years to the end of unconditional surrender. At the war, Thucydides, a political realist, reviewed and said that „The War takes place in the transition of power because the incumbent power and a newly emerging power come to hit each other to catch initiatives.‟
Now the entire world is filled with pithy contests, competitions, struggles, or even warfare whatever. Unlike a traditional warfare, however, the contest of power is faceless, scentless, soundless, and boundless in this competing world stage. Yes, it is truly an act of War even if there is no warning or ultimatum. So, it is a deadly tiring and monstrous war and a Big War.
At this struggle, the world powers think aloud that:
“This struggle is directly or indirectly connected to the personal success and glory. And the success and glory satisfies a rage to live. After all, the rage to live, the success and the glory lead to the absolute power. And then, the supreme power makes us safe. Therefore, I have gulped down tears, angers, intolerable humiliations, self-risks, and everything.”
Like their candid thinking, the modern Chinese Big Brother, Mao Zedong, put it well:
“Power grows out of a barrel of a belly gun.”
Condoleezza Rice, the former Secretary of State of the United States, too, said about the power with freeness:
“Power is nothing unless they can turn it into influence.”
Also, John Mearsheimer, as a leading proponent of the international politics, threw realistic and straight-forward comments in The Tragedy of Great Power Politics:
“In this world, there is no such thing as a status quo power. The best way to ensure the national security is to achieve hegemony now, thus eliminating any possibility of a challenge by another great power. . . Initially, a great power has a marked power advantage and incentives to do so. Great powers recognize it very well with the capability of power. Thus, they behave it over their rivals aggressively."
Like this sort of several comments, the world powers fully understand all of it and they do think that:
“Power is imperium. It springs from belly guns. But it is justice. Justice can be justified by the supreme power. Reversely, power only can guarantee my survival in the name of justice. Also it gives me the glory.”
By all accounts, they, as worldly-wide entrepreneurs, have been instinctively or indirectly tutored the primers indispensible for the throne - „A grammar of Politics’ and „Who gets what, when, and how.‟ Thus they could have practiced all of it from an early date. Then, they came to take a close interest in partisan politics with other rivals. Now they are determined to bear the rule in the world with the power.
For such a reason, they do know very well that „power is supreme as the „rings of the Lord.‟ Otherwise they think it is something like Imperial Jade, Elysium (理想鄕), or eternal Lost Treasures. With this sort of extremely dangerous mind, they have devoted their remarkable gifts to martial arts out of will to power.
These days, they have painted it with a new colorable version as below:
“Now the world has changed into an unpredictable one. So, another new weapon is needed to win the power. The weapon is popularity from the people. It gives me a fine image. With the fine image I can wrap myself as an incarnation of justice and win the power in spite of War. Then the power mixed with popularity will ensure my fate and security.”
To aim at popularity they have created new slogans of their own as if the slogans were war cries before the battle as below.
3 Sweetmeats
One of the macho men (General Motors) has clamored out to the crowd as proud as Punch with an infectious grin:
“Hey, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve now built excitement. You will get the belly laugh.”
It was boff.
However, it will give a fantasy to the people.
Then his bravura will be a spotlight as a gossip or news peg in the boxing ring. As for him, it is thrilling to be an out-runner over the chaser. Everyway, it will be intriguing for the audience to take a look.
At this big talk and theatrical gesture, a next-door neighbor (Ford) has bellyached.
Pop-eyed he snickered and shouted out wryly that:
“No way, it‟s gas and gaiters. It‟s a gag of a boaster. Usually, boomers use it for the dramatic right. Likewise, it‟s not serious but the big lie. It‟s like that „Fake it before you make it.‟ Be careful. It‟s always a four flush. Don‟t believe it. Now is the moment of truth. I‟m serious. As for me, honesty is the best policy. It is the God‟s truth. Like the truth, I‟ll go my way. Thus, „drive one’ is as always my humble slogan. With the slogan I‟ll go further.” (初志一貫)
As for him, „drive one‟ seems to be a lifelong motto coupled with the passion, concentration into one mind, and obsession for the ultimate goal.
At the brawl between the American big boys, a Japanese samurai (Toyota) has gloated over the jarring ring in chewing gum. Then he thought inside that „they play a game of brag. It is an old version. But I have a new version.‟ Then he demurely revealed his mind as if he were another big gun:
“In search for smile for tomorrow, my dream is only the pursuit of perfection.” (完璧追求)
