Power corrupts and compromises also

Sep 24, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The old adage that “power corrupts” finds no greater affirmation than in the existence of political sycophants—those spineless creatures who prop up their masters, against their better judgment, and sometimes, even against their own conscience. The fawning, groveling, and rhetorical contortions performed by these political footstools defy not only the standards of human dignity but also the core of democratic ethics.

They smile, nod, and parrot every line dictated by their political overlords, playing the dangerous game of proximity to power. It is a game with high stakes, but one with a fatal outcome, for these sycophants inevitably become the collateral damage of the very power structures they help sustain. Governments of all ilk and ideological orientation are home to such figures—men and women who have sacrificed principle, integrity, and honour at the altar of political expediency. In so doing, they have not only forfeited their own respectability but ensured their obsolescence. They are dangerous, but mainly to themselves.

Sycophants, whether in Guyana or elsewhere, operate under the illusion that loyalty to political power will shield them from the fallout of bad governance. They believe, mistakenly, that by aligning themselves with power and defending the indefensible, they secure their own advancement, perhaps even wealth or status. In reality, however, they are but temporary fixtures, expendable once their usefulness runs out. A cruel irony pervades the lives of such individuals: the very system they uphold with such unbridled enthusiasm will eventually discard them, just as easily as one discards a worn-out tool. Their shelf life, in political terms, is limited, for power is fickle, and loyalty, when bought, is never valued.

Look at the parade of these individuals. These men and women, once hailed, now find themselves reduced to mere mouthpieces—hollow shells echoing the whims of their political masters. With every utterance that betrays their former ideals, they lose a little more of their soul. Principles, once firm and resolute, are now bendable, adjustable, discarded entirely if need be. They are no longer their own men and women; they have become extensions of the political machinery they serve.

There is a special tragedy in the lives of these sycophants, for many of them know better. Deep down, they are aware that the policies they defend, the rhetoric they spew, and the actions they justify are indefensible. Some may even struggle, in the quiet moments of their conscience, with the moral contradictions of their public stances. Yet, they press on, clinging to the fleeting rewards of their political loyalty. Perhaps they convince themselves that they are playing the long game, and that their compromises today will somehow lead to greater gains tomorrow. Or perhaps they tell themselves that their loyalty will be rewarded with power, influence, or wealth. They are mistaken.

In truth, these sycophants are dangerous people, though not in the way they imagine. Their danger lies in their complicity, in their willingness to enable the worst instincts of those in power. They embolden the very corruption they claim to oppose, lending legitimacy to the most undemocratic practices and allowing themselves to be used as shields for wrongdoing. Their very existence erodes the democratic process, for how can there be accountability when those tasked with upholding it are in the pockets of the powerful?

But more than being dangerous to others, these sycophants are ultimately dangerous to themselves. For in abandoning principle, they abandon the very thing that gives them standing in the first place. A politician without integrity is like a house built on sand—it may stand for a while, but it is only a matter of time before it crumbles. These individuals may enjoy the temporary rewards of their political loyalty—the accolades, the perks, the proximity to power—but in the end, they will lose the one thing that truly matters: respect. For no matter how skillfully they play the game, no matter how many lines they toe or lies they tell, the people will see them for what they are: doormats.

The greatest tragedy of all is that these individuals are not merely victims of circumstance, but willing participants in their own degradation. They choose, consciously, to set aside their better judgment in favor of expedience. They make the choice, day after day, to suppress their conscience, to silence their inner voice, and to serve a master who will eventually discard them. This is the defining feature of the political sycophant: the willingness to be used and abused, all in the hope of securing some fleeting reward. But the reward never comes, or if it does, it is never enough to justify the cost. Political sycophants are tragic figures, not because of what they lose, but because of what they could have been. Had they chosen principle over expedience, integrity over opportunism, they might have become true leaders, individuals capable of effecting real change. Instead, they chose the easy path, the path of least resistance, and in doing so, they sealed their own fate.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• affirmation, corrupts, political, power, sycophants

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