The Human Cost of Bad Government

 Donald Trump, the current president, has been widely criticized and strongly disliked by many. Some of these reactions may stem from his behavior and rhetoric, which many view as insulting or inappropriate, while others may reflect broader differences in political worldview. Past Democratic presidents, such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden, have also faced intense criticism, though much of that opposition has often been rooted in differing political perspectives.

Whatever one’s political position, the gravest danger arises when power is concentrated in the hands of a single ruler, ruling party, or unaccountable regime. Absolute monarchies, one-party states, dictatorships, and tyrannical governments can strip away legal protections and leave citizens dependent on the will of those in power.

Unchecked Power and Its Risks

Unchecked power allows a ruler or ruling party to control law, punishment, property, and political life without meaningful restraint. When there are no independent courts, free institutions, or reliable checks and balances, political opponents, dissenters, advisers, and ordinary citizens can become vulnerable to imprisonment, exile, or death at the discretion of those in authority.

Historical Example: King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII of England is often cited as a historical example of out-of-control authoritarian power in practice. He ordered the deaths of political opponents, religious dissenters, trusted advisers such as Thomas More, and two of his wives. It is estimated that Henry had over 76,000 of his citizens put to death just at his whim. His reign shows how unchecked authority can transform personal, religious, or political conflict into matters of life and death.

Modern Examples of Authoritarian Rule

Modern authoritarian regimes continue to illustrate the dangers of concentrated power. Frequently cited examples include:

• North Korea: Kim Jong Un’s government has been accused of ordering executions, imprisonment, and severe punishment against officials and citizens who fall out of favor. Just recently Kim had a North Korean official executed just for falling asleep in a meeting.  Hyon Yong-chol: South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported that North Korea's Defense Minister was executed in April 2015 for falling asleep at a military event attended by Kim Jong-un and for failing to follow instructions.  

•  Russia: Vladimir Putin’s government has been widely criticized for the persecution and deaths of political opponents, including Alexei Navalny who was killed while in prison.  Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the mercinary Wagner Group was killed in an airplane crash believed to have been intentionally sabotaged so it would crash. Very frequently we hear of certain people who have fallen out of favor with Putin fall out of apartment windows and killed.

• China: Critics argue that those who fall out of favor with the ruling party may face imprisonment, political prosecution, or severe punishment. Examples often mentioned include Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai.  Lai was imprisoned just for not bending to the will of the tyrant and defending truth. Military leaders Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, who have have been accused of corruption. This cannot be verified; they may have just fallen out of favor. In such systems, punishment can appear to depend less on independent legal judgment than on decisions made by those in power.
• Iran: As you may have heard, the tyrannical Iranian regime murdered over an estimated 40,000 peaceful protesters at the beginning of 2026. 

Together, these examples highlight a central concern: when political power is concentrated in one leader or ruling party, individual rights and personal safety depend less on impartial law and more on the preferences of those who control the state.

In the former Byzantine Empire, for example, an emperor could order the punishment or execution of anyone perceived as an opponent, whether the threat was real or imagined. Blinding was one especially notorious form of punishment. Again, the decision rested not with an independent judge or jury, but with the ruler’s will.  Byzantine emperors frequently blinded political rivals, rebels, and suspected usurpers. This brutal practice was used to neutralize threats to the throne while technically sparing their lives, as Byzantine religious and political laws strictly prohibited anyone with a physical defect or mutilation from ruling the empire.

In 11^th century Sicily, the conquering Normans introduced a feudal system in which the king claimed ultimate ownership of the land. Under this arrangement, ordinary people had limited property rights and depended on the ruler’s authority to determine who could use or lease land. This was basically a form of slavery, the lands were divided into large fiefs ruled by the upper-class barons, who ruled their fiefs with an iron hand. If a peasant hired by the baron wanted to improve the property he had to have permission from the baron.  If he needed a loan, the barons would force him to only borrow from them at exorbitant rates.  private bank loans were prohibited. 

In our current day, we have one-party states such as in California, Vermont, Oregon, Washington and other states where one party has a majority in both houses and passes laws at will.  The minority has, basically, no voice. The main difference is that we have a judiciary that makes the ultimate rule, however, even the courts are skewed to the left such as the notorious 9^th Circuit Court which usually rubber stamps leftist laws. For decades, the court was known as a reliably liberal stronghold. The Supreme Court reverses the Ninth Circuit in approximately 79% to 80% of the cases it agrees to review, which historically amounts to roughly 10 to 14 reversals per term. This is one of the highest raw reversal rates and totals in the country. 

A Pilgrim's Story Version 2.0

 In the biblical story, God commands the prophet Jonah to preach repentance to the wicked city of Nineveh. Unwilling to go, Jonah boards a ship bound for Tarshish, fleeing in the opposite direction. Jonah despised the assignment; he hated the Ninevites and longed not for their redemption, but for their judgment.

 

My own story bears a faint resemblance to Jonah’s. When I first heard my parents speak of leaving my Sicily homeland for the United States, I was filled with dread. I wanted no part of such a journey.  I loved the life I knew—grazing sheep with my father in the Madonie Mountains of north-central Sicily, surrounded by the rugged beauty and familiar rhythms of home. But at twelve years old, I possessed no power to resist what had already been decided for me. When the day of departure finally came, my heart was broken. As we boarded the Italian Cruise ship, the Saturnia, at the Port of Palermo, I turned to my mother and pleaded with her to leave me behind. She refused. Our family consisted of six children and my parents.  The youngest was a mere 8 months old.

 

We left Palermo in mid-March1956 heading out of the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean.  The entire trip to New York Harbor took two weeks; the Atlantic was in a very bad mood; rough seas seem to have lasted the entire crossing.  Having never been on a ship before we were all seasick and hardly ever left our cabin.  I don’t remember ever eating in the ship’s cafeteria.

 

Upon arrival at the New York Harbor, we debarked and headed straight to the train station for our trip across the entire United States to Los Angeles with a stop in Chicago to change trains.  Not ever having had any American food such as mayonnaise or mustard we ate sparingly. As we arrived at Union Station Los Angeles, I noticed weather I had never seen, overcast skies.  Where we’re from it was either sunny or foggy, never overcast. My dad’s sponsor, his sister, met us at Union Station and took us to our rented one-bedroom duplex in the Leimert Park section of Los Angeles. 

 

Los Angeles was a beautiful city in the mid 1950s, clean well-kept streets with Palm trees that reached for the sky.  We lived in a mixed neighborhood, black and white families living in total harmony.  This was the first time I had ever seen a black person.  I did not discover until later of the racial discrimination that was going on in other parts of the country.  Where we lived, however, I never saw discrimination.  My very first friend was Norman Aubry, a black kid down the block.  I adjusted quickly.  Our house was next to an empty lot.  With my two younger brothers we built a pigeon cage and raised fancy pigeons:  Tumblers, rollers and fantails.  We managed to recreate something of what we left behind in Sicily. Los Angeles was a very safe city.  We could ride the bus to anywhere without trouble.  I later managed to buy a used bike and rode around freely.  On one occasion, I rode my bike to Griffith Park which was about 14 miles from our house.  On my return trip heading south on Western Avenue, I was hit by a car and knocked down.  Luckily, I was unhurt.  A passing off-duty policeman who witnessed the accident, took me home with my broken bike.

 

My parents enrolled me into Angeles Mesa Elementary school which was two blocks from our house.  I was the only foreign student.  Not speaking a word of English, my teacher, Mr. Fox, just put me in the last row against the wall and left me alone.  This proved to be the best solution.  Within a few months I could speak English with my fellow students semi-fluently. Total immersion was a big success. 

 

I had my first Coca Cola at the vending machine of Van Ness Park. Ten cents would get you a cold bottle.  I also learned to play the carroms board game.  There we also met the park custodian who took us under his wing and looked after us. Within a year I got a job throwing the afternoon Los Angeles Mirror News newspaper. 

 

The traumatic events I experienced by the move have lasted to a small degree.  I still resent the fact that I was moved to an unknown place against my wishes.  I hold no animosity against my parents; however, they did what they believed was to be the best for us.  Sometimes God has a job for us that we do not like, like Jonah, but it is the right job for us.  Just do it.