Masters and Slaves in a Postmodern World

From Democracy's Mirage to Global Agendas: Exploring the Modern Master-Slave Paradigm

In modern times, the thought of masters and slaves is viewed as a nasty relic of the past. Surely, only the apes of the past would have ever thought to enslave another human. We are much too "enlightened" to partake in such atrocities, right? On the contrary, slavery is alive and well today in the West and across the globe. Democracy has created the mere illusion of freedom, which has not and will never truly be the reality for the vast majority of civilians. Puffed up with pride we are in the modern era, with our many "advancements", only to realize we are simply a rebrand of the past.

We Westerners have sipped this kool-aid the most, with our great pride of residing in a country that is "free." Democracy, in its best form, is the rule of the mob. Populism may be tolerable in a healthy society, but not the mentally and physically ill one of the postmodernist world. The incompetence of the decaying herd slowly gnaws at the foundational pillars which gave rise to a high-functioning society. Corrupt politicians use the herd as mere tools for harnessing power, under the guise of a party’s interests. This power is then used to benefit the governing class, rather than the party and its voters. Therefore, we are not much different from the tyrannical societies of the past, but under a more subtle, faceless master. The decadent “elite” use the air of democracy as a socially acceptable means of furthering their own desires.

True freedom is not a right and it can never be, for anything that is valuable is scarce. While freedom of speech and religion are important aspects of governance, they are merely a nutrient-rich soil from which freedom may sprout. The rights we have are a means to an end, rather than an end in themselves. This is obvious to one who is already a master, but a source of agony for a slave. The powerful who claim their own freedom are doing fine, but the submissive are in quite a similar position as in the past. An autonomous life is cultivated as a natural result of health and strength, not weakness.

"You will own nothing and you will be happy" - World Economic Forum

You owning nothing, if you don’t already, is a very real possibility due to the various coalescing globalist and economic agendas. It’s an ideology of slavery where civilians are in indentured servitude to their government and economy, due to their own financial and physical weakness. This weakness is the goal of corrupt leaders, who thrive when their population is weak, fearful and dependent. This is the utilitarian philosophy of a decaying ruling class who view commoners purely as tax paying workhorses to be exploited, rather than assets to further a great cause. In these conditions, governments are symbolic of parasites, rather than creative forces. 

The global and economic agendas of the ruling class are felt heavily in recent years. This is seen in the astronomical amount of debt the average American has, which as of 2023 is around $103,000. It’s seen in the higher prices of homes, gas, electricity, groceries. It’s seen in the staggering rate of inflation. People are increasingly dependent on the government and less self-sufficient. The decay of the family-unit is a win to a decadent elite class, because it causes atomization, and by extension, weakness. It also appears as a form of blind obedience to authority, like the atrocities that took place during the Covid lockdowns, where half of the country willingly cut themselves off from their communities, work and families. It presents itself as Bitcoin, as the metaphorical middle-finger to the state and incompetent governing bodies. It’s seen in the increasing polarization between the two most powerful political stances, liberalism and conservatism. It’s seen in the obsession with “equality” and socialism as grand solutions to an issue that the government cannot fix - slavery.

Psychologically, a slave represents a submissive force, whereas a master represents a strong force. The distinction between these two physiological types of man is one which is not static, but may tend toward a certain spot on a spectrum between strong, passive and submissive. A strong force is an energy that embodies great vitality and strength, bending its surroundings to its will or desires. A passive force is the middle ground, and a submissive force is one which is acted upon by the strong forces. 

This dynamic is a part of reality, and not just man-made systems. The predator and prey dynamic in the animal kingdom resembles the very tension of power we experience as humans. Even the cosmos itself is a macrocosm of the master and slave dynamic, where large forms of matter such as stars heavily influence and control the very paths of planets and matter BILLIONS of miles away.

Although most matter and planets in the universe are “governed” by enormous bodies of mass, the result is stunning. The universe has a chaotic history of both creation and destruction that has given rise to beautiful star systems, planets, galaxies, and life here on Earth. From the various competing bodies of mass, of smaller planets, and stars, there somehow rose a galactic order? Perhaps this hierarchical structure of order is a natural result in a system with competing forces of different stature? 

In society, we see a repeating pattern of large concentrations of power into single entities, such as governments, cultures, religions and companies. These man-made entities represent dominant forces in the world, which either seduce or force humans into submission in their presence. Isn't it odd that structures of great complexity and order arise in both conscious systems, as well as unconscious? The deterministic mechanisms of physics are governing these master and slave structures, rather than anything originating from human behavior.

In politics, we constantly hear about the "oppressor and oppressed" dynamic which is compared to a passive force that dyes human behavior in various ways. This is human consciousness grappling with the very master and slave power dynamics we experience. The truth is, we are all oppressors, and we are all oppressed, but in different ways. What's more, is that this is baked into all life due to the common denominator of self-interest. 

One must wonder what modern progressives mean when they wish to eradicate the "oppressed and oppressor" dynamic. A tall order as such would entail the eradication of all life, all distinctions and the universe itself. Perhaps the left deep down envisions a world where humans have become homogenized, like a race of NPCs embodying the same exact characteristics, ideology and desires. This is the philosophy of a weak will, which has grown tired of imposing itself on the world. This will has succumbed to the illnesses of nihilism and exhaustion. 

As long as there are distinctions to be made between one thing and another, the master and slave dynamic will lie inseparable from reality. Envision a universe where all conceivable things are of equal composition and size. Would life even be? What greatness could possibly sprout from a species, or universe, where all were equal? It is the great distance between the mundane and the extraordinary which give rise to our most dearly held values and accomplishments.

Our vast differences and inherent self-interest make life intriguing. While we humans are an incredibly cooperative and creative species, we still serve our own self-interest at the base of our desires. We cooperate when we perceive a benefit to us in some way, not out of pure kindness. Oftentimes, self-interest can lead to circumstances that have mutual benefit to others who are part of the system. One organism's self-interest can benefit others within a species, and even other totally unrelated life forms.  

For example, photosynthetic organisms like plants, bacteria and trees can convert sunlight into energy, which was self-serving, but the product of this chemical process released an abundance of oxygen into the atmosphere. As a result, aerobic organisms, such as animals, birds and humans which convert oxygen into energy became possible. Therefore, selfish behavior is not inherently destructive, it can be vastly creative as well. 

The purpose of this perspective is to break the spell of egotism and selfish behavior which have received a bad reputation in modern times. Having an ego, and serving your own interests, is a sign of a strong will. A will which is simply blown around by others, which does not hold form, that submits to order imposed with no benefits to itself, is a fragile, slave-like being. The strength of one's willpower determines what lengths it ventures in pursuit of desire. The master and slave dynamic is the embodied difference between our sea of competing desires, and their various levels of vitality.

Masters dominate and slaves obey. Is history not a repeating pattern of masters attempting to arrange or exploit large amounts of people? Whether out of ignorance or self-interest, governing bodies can become tyrannical forces which attempt to homogenize their civilians, using them as mere instruments. The ruling class, although powerful, are not above criticism, and as such they deserve much scrutiny. The masses are doing their job properly when they are mindful and critical of the behavior displayed by the ruling political class. However, if there comes a point where the ruling class is blatantly self-interested, at the expense of the masses, and this is where the seeds of revolt are planted by the strong among the masses.

Although we do not typically feel enslaved in the West, this dynamic is still at play on our soil. Those of us who are paying attention realize that most political elites are not the vessels of our own interests that they claim to be. In present, they are a self-serving class who seek to extract as much as the masses will tolerate. Slavery in its many forms is constantly rebranded into something palatable and trustworthy throughout history, such as the illusions of "freedom" or "democracy." 

What do you think the idea of "democracy" truly is? It's but a branding campaign designed to lure us into a trap where we blame each other, rather than the bureaucratic fog that actually runs the country. Democracy aims to appease the masses, making them feel as though they actually have some form of control over society, rather than the ruling class. It is but a refinement of subtlety among the elite class in response to a strengthening of the lower classes in sheer number, economic power and education.

Many modern ruling classes have lost respectability, strength and tact, leading to the necessity of "democratic order." Democratic order is but a facade designed to cover up the truth. The values and laws of a society are determined by the strong, and submitted to by the weak. Weak leaders instill weak values into weak people, thus decadence becomes ever more clear in the masses. The ruling class will continue to rebrand the dynamic between the rulers and the slaves to conceal their motives, but the same physiological phenomena are at play.

The strength and class of the founding fathers of the U.S. is not found among today's political elite. The will of this nation which was once strong, has morphed and degenerated into the ruling class mimicking the poor by supporting unfounded, socialist ideologies. Rather than forging values for society with strength, the degenerated ruling class now resorts to reflecting the poor taste of the downtrodden and weak.

Although the dynamic between the master and slave class will always be antagonistic, this tension is what strengthens each class. It is natural for one to despise the other, and this very hostility acts as an invisible threshold demanding certain characteristics. The distrust and envy from the poor of the ruling class creates a threshold for power, charisma and influence. At the other end of the spectrum, contempt toward the poor breeds insecurity, striving and obedience in lower classes.

Two opposing systems of morality coined by Nietzsche manifest in this tension: master and slave morality. These types of morality emerge as each class acquires different perspectives on the concept of power. The master bestows his own values upon himself, and the slave adopts the common, mediocre morality of the masses. The master is governed by himself and his instincts, whereas the slave submits to the will of the mob. The master does as he wants, and the slave does as he must. 

The key distinction between these two modes of being is the degree of strength and form one embodies. The master upholds and projects strong form regardless of their circumstances, and the slave falters under the gravitational influence of mass social movements through their desire for approval.

As such, mass social and political movements are typically driven by those with weak, slave-like physiologies. Modern political and cultural movements such as Black Lives Matter, LGBTQ-whatever (how many letters are in it this week?) and socialist ideologies are vehicles built by indoctrinated intellectuals, driven by the weak, the poor, and those of bad taste. The ruling class simply reflects these egregious smells back to the lower classes as a means of obtaining votes, while not truly believing in them. As a result, the masses are somewhat appeased and feel empowered, which affords the political elite more trust and power. Outstanding moral fiber is rare in every class of man, but especially politicians.

What is truly exceptional is not common. The scarcity principle observes the direct correlation between rarity and value. Envy is a manifestation of this principle in human emotion, which reveals perceived superiority in those who are in its crosshair. Envy typically does not reveal itself purely, rather it latches onto other emotions such as anger, fear, contempt, or hatred. Wealth envy is perhaps the most common form of envy, embodied most in the poor and insecure. It’s no surprise that rare individuals such as intellectuals, politicians, celebrities and businessmen are often targets of intense scrutiny and hatred, while paradoxically admired, albeit unconsciously.

When the veil is pierced through the false appearances of human emotions and hierarchical social structures, the root is will power and desire. The strength of one’s will power is the manifestation of his proclivity toward being a master or a slave. Will power is the raw embodiment of both BECOMING and OVERCOMING. Although the strong and the weak will always have an antagonistic relationship, one should always aim to cultivate their strength, health and vitality, for it is the only means of projecting one’s desires onto the world. One does not have to be a politician or CEO to pursue his own form of greatness.

Mass conformity and obedience will perhaps always be most common in human hierarchies, which represents the gravitational pull downward from the height of unique potential through the use of shame, guilt and fear of egotism. It’s the path of least resistance. To break free from the crushing chains of conformity and mob rule, one must harness the instinctual powers of his will, placing himself at the top of his own totem pole, directing his life and actions as he pleases, and not as a mere instrument of another. For in the heart of every great man, there grazes a LION.