Politics is the Art of Gaining Power And The Craft of Retaining it

"To reign in hell is better than to be ruled in heaven", is what Milton's Satan in paradise Lost believes. In no way it is the self-consolation of defeated angel nor a humble resignation to the ministers of fate; it is the ingrained ambition of all earthly people. Physical superiority had given more exalted status to man, more prominence to might than to right, more chances for the fittest to survive.

Wars were fought to establish superiority over others, and to force the nations to take up humiliating path of paying homage. Civilized nations have begun to realise that the war is the obsolete method of obtaining decision; physical power has been substitute by the mechanical power. But the love of power-the desire to dictate and direct action and thinking of others-is still uppermost inhuman psychology. Rather it has assumed many other shapes-shapes that are painted in fair colours and are given very attractive names.

Communists recommend the regimentation of the labouring class to exert collective influence for their collective interests, the capitalists use money as the source of economic power used for exploiting others. International alliances are designed to pool the resources and power to bully other nations to dance to their tune or horrify them into inaction. But the controlling power in the international and national spheres, is political power. It is all-embracive-wielding its sway over social and economic life-it is omnipotent on earth.

It can mobilise public opinion, gear up propaganda machinery, make or repeal laws, invoke or amend constitution and what not. Under democratic set up political authority, contrary to layman;s belief, assumes wider powers. backed by the public opinion, supported by the majority of the legislators, armed with the means to keep the people in a state of ignorance, it crosses the limits of even dictatorial powers. As democracy affords and guarantees equal opportunities, political manipulation is the handy means to come to power. Political power, like the most powerful intoxicant, makes the persons in power to forget social ethics, political morality and obligations. This satisfies the ego of man and politics becomes means to power. Politics is the art of gaining power.

Politics is the lever to come to power and use it. It is so intimately connected with ideologies, political and economic, that in democratic countries people are befooled into the belief that a particular ideology will serve as a panacea for their ills. They are charmed to such an extent that the ideal or ideology becomes an intellectual superstition for them; they stick to it fanatically, they live and die for it. A large number of the Germans died because they believed that they were born to rule.

Thus Hitler enchanted people by talking of racial purity, Mussolini, charmed the Italians with Fascism, Pakistani dictators have given a powerful expression to anti-India feelings. People must support, even if after coming to power he becomes all-powerful dictator. Without people's support even the powerful tyrants like the Czar of Russia of Luis of France had to bow out of office. Politics is the means to win the people and so power.

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