Revised- "Power Always Corrupts Those Who Hold It"

Power; the textbook definition of this word is “political or national strength”. Power of this type in moderation is quite useful and necessary to maintain a peaceful society. However, it is when leaders abuse this power that they become corrupt. They often start out with honest intentions but soon are blinded by the desire for more. May it be money, fame, or more power, personal gain soon becomes the center of these leaders’ lives. Power is addicting, therefore it is inevitable that power always corrupts the ones who hold it. Evidence is in favour of this statement, considering the three corrupt political leaders that will be discussed throughout this essay.

To start, during the 1930s, Germany was in deep debt. In return, the people were willing to give up democracy for financial relief. Little did they know that their nation would soon be dictated for over a decade by a single-minded tyrant, Adolph Hitler. Hitler took advantage of Germany’s money troubles, and to be honest, he did improve the economy. However, once he gained popularity, he promoted himself through propaganda to fulfill his desires to expand his regime. At this time, he became so greedy to dominate the world that he used force to keep his power. He had too much influence in his hands, and soon became corrupt. Hitler killed a number of innocent victims, many only because he had the authority to. Ultimately, Hitler started out with the goal of ameliorating Germany’s financial situation, but soon he advanced in attempt to conquer the world for his own benefit. Greed is what brought this man to corruption, as it did to many other political leaders.

During the 1970s, after working in many political occupations, Saddam Hussein came to power as President of Iraq. This politician was corrupt from the start. To elaborate, Hussein pressured the previous Prime Minister Bakr to resign in order for Hussein to succeed into Bakr’s position. To add, he immediately had his oppression systematically killed and he enlarged his security forces. Furthermore, Hussein employed relatives and trusted friends in higher positions to keep the power in his own hands. Incredibly, over 50% of the Iraqis were hired by the government, military, or had a relative who was. These occupations were controlled by Hussein, meaning he had an enormous amount of power and influence in Iraq. Hussein was so fanatical that he murdered thousands of his citizens. He didn’t care for his country; he only strived for personal profit.

Lastly, another example of corrupt leaders is President George W. Bush. He was elected with promises of bettering health care, resolving environmental issues, improving welfare, and reducing America’s debt. However, after two significant events, he proved to be no better than Hitler or Hussein. To illustrate, in September 2001, there were devastating attacks on multiple sites in USA by the Al Qaeda. Instead of dealing with these attacks in a smart way, Bush raised fear and brought on an unjust, unnecessary war. The majority of his reasons to fight were for his government’s own benefit, and many consider this to be a “war of choice”. As an example, the war was seen by Bush as an opportunity to secure Iraqi oil. This was one of quite a few motives behind Bush’s decision. As if this were not enough, Bush demonstrated his government’s corruption again in 2005, during the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina. Many criticized the government’s delayed lacking response. For instance, President Bush was on vacation when disaster struck, and did not return to Washington until two days post-disaster. Along with other complaints about his response, Bush didn’t handle this emergency well overall. Bush’s incapability to take action successfully regarding these two incidents was a result, with no doubt, of too much power leading to corruption.

These three great political leaders are perfect examples of power leading to corruption. These people may have started out with good intentions, but soon were conquered by greed. Hitler strived to expand his reign, Hussein wanted to control the entire country of Iraq, and Bush was searching for opportunities to make America the most influential nation of all. All in all, each of these politicians was seeking no more than personal gain. Like the Lion King’s uncle Scar, these politicians’ downfalls were their own greed, fear of losing power, and jealousy. To conclude, it is evident that power always corrupts those who hold it; it is inevitable.