Power and vacuums

[Pat McCotter]

http://www.secretgovernmentlabs.com/page/powervacuum
Power Vacuum
Remember the addage, ?nature abhors a vacuum??  In actuality, the vast majority of the universe (nature) is a vacuum.  It would be more accurate to say, ?pressure abhors a vacuum?, because a vacuum is a complete absence of pressure.

Let us extend this principle to the idea of the ?power vacuum? as referenced in politics.

Politically, a power vacuum is defined as a lack of power, or more specifically, lack of a single dominant power that is capable of keeping all lesser powers more-or-less in line.  Prevailing thought has it that power vacuums are ?bad?, leading to chaos and anarchy.

If a vacuum is defined as a lack of particles, and a power vacuum is defined as a lack of power, then obviously particles are analogous to power.  And by ?power? we mean those who seek to gain and maintain control.

When a vacuum wall is breached, the particles outside the vacuum come flooding in.  Physically, this is an effort to equalize the pressure.  The particles are not ?sucked in? by the vacuum; they are ?pushed in? by the pressure outside the vacuum.  As the particles come flooding into the erstwhile vacuum, chaos ensues.  The particles whirl and eddy as more particles come flooding in, until some form of equilibrium is achieved and the turbulence loses momentum.

By analogy, our power-seeking human particles are drawn together by the gravity of the need for human relatedness, and driven about by the desire for more space to control, much as the particles in a gas bounce around in a state of semi-equilibrium.  When a power vacuum is discovered, nearby power-seekers rush to exploit the new space.  Chaos ensues and the influx continues as those already present vie with one-another for space.  Particles need space; space does not need particles.

Those who fear this chaos militate against allowing power vacuums to appear in the first place, citing the chaos as justification.  They claim it is better to maintain power in all places at all times, never allowing a power vacuum to form in the first place.

What we fail to realize is that this chaos is caused by the power-seeking particles, not the power vacuum.  Without power-seeking particles creating the constant pressure of competing for power, there would not be the chaos of a rush for power.  There would be only free space (?free? being the operative word).