The Fallacy of Force

“Power comes from the barrel of a gun.” - Mao Zedong

The quote from Chairman Mao is one that gets thrown around a lot. That it stems from the same mind that birthed the Little Red Book and the Cultural Revolution should be illustrative. Yet, it remains a popular one because it's both simple and direct. Much like what springs from it. However, while the concept of force and the readiness to employ its power is a necessary one it is not the end all and be all. Power as a means in and of itself is an Orwellian idea that leads to the Orwellian nightmare. Power must be tempered and supported by other traits and other qualities or else it becomes brute, unthinking force – as dangerous to those who set it in motion as it is to those it's been aimed against.

Hence: Power comes from the barrel of a gun. Strength does not. That comes from the hand resting on the trigger and the will that decides whether or not to pull it.