Uncredible power invites dangerous testing that triggers force
Evidence
On the naked body of a giant discovered in a crevice in the ground, Gyges, a Lydian shepherd, by chance found a gold ring that made him invisible. Confident in his new power and sure that he would escape the watchful eyes of men, he multiplied his misdeeds, killed the king, and seized the throne with impunity. His enemies could neither avoid his attacks nor defend themselves against him. Invisibility conferred upon him a kind of invulnerability. — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 342 (
#contradicts, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Unlawful power is real, not a mere negatable possibility; Power loses its ordering function if anyone can resort to violence freely; Invisibility from retaliation confers power to act with impunity. — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 342 (+3 more)
Related
- Dominant powers codified their own practical invulnerability as the overriding war norm (similarity 0.83)
- Invisibility from retaliation confers power to act with impunity. (similarity 0.82)
Broader Connections
- Power loses its ordering function if anyone can resort to violence freely
#corroborates(0.70) - Bases surrounding a rival power provoke dangerous escalation
#exemplifies(0.65) - Invisibility from retaliation confers power to act with impunity.
#contradicts(0.55) — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 342 - Power as damage threat cannot explain power’s order-creating function in complex societies.
#qualifies(0.50)