PLACES AND FORMS OF POWER

The notion I am going to deal with is places ans forms of power. To begin with, I would like
to give a definition of this notion. First, in politics and social science, power is the ability to
influence the behavior of people. In order to live together members of a community accept
rules, regulations, laws. This helps to create social cohesion but can also lead to conflicts
and tensions. Even when authority seems absolute, there are always counter-powers
which question it, aim at limiting its excesses and resist it.
Is power dangerous for people and society? My presentation will fall into 3 parts : First, I
will concentrate on the constructive power ; Then, I will study the destructive power ; And
finally I will focus on the counter power.

I/ Constructive power

Some people uses power in order to bring more equality, and justice between people.
That's what did Nelson Mandela in South Africa. He fought against the system of apartheid
which become official state policy in 1948. He was set free after 27 years of jail, and the
African National Congress (ANG) won the first democratic election in 1994. Mandela, who
was the head of this group, restored equality between whites and blacks people thanks to
power. Then he set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to make Africa hosts to
the nation of the world as he said during his inaugural speech in 1994. He is a perfect
example of constructive power : he is the total opposite of a dictator as he uses the power
for the well being of his people. Besides, the equality between blacks and whites was also
the goal of Martin Luther King in USA. MLK delivered a famous speech in 1963 untitled I
have a dream in which he arms to dramatize the shameful condition of black people in the
USA. He used peaceful marches and speeches to change things. He shows that we can
use power to make the world a better place.

II/ Destructive power

A dictatorship is an example of destructive power. Power can be used to oppress people.

That's the story related in 1984 of G. Orwell, a famous novelist of the 20 century. Winston
Smith, in the story, writes to escape from his terrible life. He lives in a country called
Oceania where dishonesty and betrayal rewarded, where you are not allowed to love, to
invite people at home, to keep a diary... Indeed, W. Smith Is a symbol of rebellion.
However the road ahead was long and full of obstacles : He thought police try to trap him,
and Big Brother, the terrible dictator, invented a new language called newspeak to reduce
them to obey. Words are of utmost importance because without words, it's very difficult to
think and feel. 1984 is not only a fiction because in 1948 the government refused to
publish G. Orwell's book because the fact that people in the book are spied by
telescreens, microphone looked like the reality. So power can be dangerous if some
people try to control everything thanks the power.
III/ Counter Power

There are two types of movement which could be considered as Counter Power. First
some isolated groups try to change things like Anonymous a group of hackers or ...
Sherherd an association which has been create in order to prevent biodiversity from
the extinction. However collective movement are becoming more important. Occupy Wall
Street is a good example : Occupy Wall Street is an International movement created in
New York in order to fight financed capitalism of our society. There types of movement
shows that people doesn't want to let few persons decide. Even people could exercised
power on world leaders. A lot of intellectuals wants to show the dysfunction of the system
like Clay Bennett a cartoonist who denounces that innocent people are punished in place
of the guilty.

To conclude, Power is a main subject in an societies. It can be used positively, negatively

or to denounce something. However according to Lord Acton : "Power tends to corrupt,
and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." We may
ask ourselves : do we still need power to live ?