Avni - Week 10: Abuse or Responsibility?
Power is a force that can shape societies and uplift communities, but also destroy loves. Throughout history, there has been people who wield power in very different ways.
Adolf Hitler rose to power through manipulation and propaganda, leading to one of the darkest periods in history, His unchecked authority resulted in the loss of millions of lives and showcased the devastating consequences of power used for oppression. In contrast, leaders like Nelson Mandela demonstrated how power can also unite and heal. Despite suffering twenty-seven years in prison, Mandela chose reconciliation over revenge, guiding South Africa away from apartheid and toward democracy.
Another stark contrast can be in corporate power. Figures like Elizabeth Holmes (ex-CEO of Theranos) exploited her influence by deceiving investors and patients with false claims about medical technology. Her abuse of power finally led to financial and personal ruin for many. But people like Bill Gates used their wealth and influence to combat global issues like poverty and disease, channeling power into philanthropy that has saved many lives.
The media industry has also provided its fair share of both. People like Upert Murdoch have been accused of using their media empires to manipulate public opinion and push political agendas. But journalists like Ida B. Wells used their platforms to expose injustices, particularly in the movement against lynching in the US.
These figures and such history reminds us that power is a double-edged sward. The true leadership is not how much power one has, but how it used to shape the world for the better or worse.
With our class elections ending soon, many people will have a new power as seniors, and we don’t know it it will be use for the better or worse. Many have criticized the leadership in our class, which is apparent by the results of our class unity and spirit, but the blame cannot go to one individual or certain people, but the actual class itself is the one to blame. That brings us to the question if and how would we as seniors abuse our power?
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Hi Avni! I think that your blog post this week was very thought-provoking and I really liked the way that you structured your paragraphs! By comparing influential figures that have used their power to either benefit or harm others in each paragraph, I was able to really understand the vast uses of power and their various impacts. Your contrast of these individuals’ actions and your inclusion of three examples of power made your writing both informative and intriguing as I was able to learn a lot from this post. I really agree with your statement that power is like a “double-edged sword,” and I think that it’s really interesting to be able to see how this pattern of power is something that we can still see today.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked how you connected your discussion of power to a more personal event, as I think that many of our classmates are familiar with our school’s yearly class elections. It was nice to see the way you described that the influence of power can be seen in situations of our everyday life, and is not just confined to broader real-world problems in politics or in the business world. I appreciated how you acknowledged the fact that although our class’s results may partially be due to our leadership, it also depends on the power we wield as a class, where everyone in our grade must work together if we want to see improvements in our performance. I think that you also posed a very intriguing question at the end of your blog, and in my opinion, I trust the capabilities of our senior class council and believe that they won’t abuse their power and harm our class. I would love to hear your thoughts on this question, Avni, and thank you for sharing!