With widened eyes, pursed lips, and a quick intake of breath the woman muttered in whispered tones through clenched teeth, “He is such a TYRANT!”
Many of us have likely seen similar displays in recent weeks… or have performed them ourselves. The fact is there have been many actions by our leaders, both elected and unelected, that seem unjust, unreasonable, and downright tyrannical.
Yet perhaps we’re barking up the wrong tree and are slapping the tyranny label on certain leaders and organizations without cause. So, what exactly are the marks of a tyrant?
“A TYRANT is one whose list is his law, making his subjects his slaves,” writes 17th century clergyman Thomas Fuller in his book The Holy State and the Profane State. He then goes on to list 11 traits by which one can recognize a tyrant. I’ve selected three, which sadly sound all too familiar to our situation today.
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1. A Tyrant Takes Everything
A tyrant “leaves nothing that his poor subjects can call their own, but their miseries,” writes Fuller. For those who just spent a quiet holiday all by their lonesome thanks to restrictions on gatherings, such a statement hits home. When states and governmental leaders strip citizens of even the most basic of rights, such as who they can have on their own private property, then perhaps it’s no wonder Americans are depressed and miserable. This is starkly shown in America’s suicide rates, which have risen drastically in recent months.
2. A Tyrant Shuns Evidence
The tyrant “keeps a constant kennel of blood-hounds, to accuse whom he pleaseth,” Fuller notes. As such, the “[w]orst men” around “are his greatest favourites,” becoming useful tools to go after the just and upright. “The less credit they have, the more they are believed, and their very accusation is held a proof.” Accusations, as we have seen, are a favorite tool of those leading today’s cancel culture. According to Fuller, the presence of those quick to accuse and condemn suggests that tyranny is not very far behind.
