Every big idea has a twisted evil twin

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that the powerful put about to justify themselves.

Darwinism gives rise to social darwinism. Economics gives rise to a whole rainbow of 1%-friendly bullshit. Christianity gives rise to the Roman Catholic Church. Socialism begets Russian-style communism. "Imagine there's no countries" globalization gives rise to a globalization where goods and capital can move freely, but people can not. The idea that nobility of spirit grants nobility at arms twists easily into its converse. Etc. Etc. Etc. Etc.

That this happens is unsurprising. It's pointless to blame the powerful, it's in their nature. If it were not in their nature, they wouldn't be powerful. The flaw lies in the idea itself. The value of a big idea lies as much in its ability to resist this tendency as in its truthfulness.

I am interested in finding further examples of this.




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