Power Exists!
The expression"Macht existiert!" or "Power exists!" has an unofficial status as a German"Sprichwort", or aphorism that recalls Germany's rise to industrial supremecy in the late 19th century. The expression returned to relevancy during the 1930-40s as the Nazi dictatorship unleashed its military might on Europe. Those experiences gave "Macht existiert!" a largely negative connotation. Post-War Germans naturally did not want to appear too powerful.
The "Macht Existiert!" article appeared on July 19, 2015 in the Sunday edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, when the German government had to decide whether to bail out the deeply-indebted Greek and Spanish governments, in order to let them remain in the Euro-zone", Europe's currency zone. Europeans again shudder over how powerful Germany had become in relation to the other nations of Europe.
But "Macht existiert!" may touch something deeper in the human psyche: Power exists because the ego exists, or because power is indestructable, or at least because the craving for power remains a constant in the human character. Whole populations of people do little but build a power-base that creates not just currency zones but only comfort zones. But power worries the Western intelligensia, which feels ambivalently about power—craving it, one moment, then disowning it or treating it like an infection of the psyche, in the next.
No work in literature reveals this ambivalence better than Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The "Dark Lord Sauron" created the "One Ring" to allow him to rule the World. A coalition, led by the Hobbit Frodo, conspires to steal the Ring and destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom. Once they get the ring, the conspirators have to resist its dark, spiritual allure. One of the group, however cannot resist it, a mercenary soldier named Boromir. He steals the ring, repents, and dies a hero's death.
In my youth, under the influence of the Nazi and Soviet experiences, I, too, believed deeply in the need to destroy power. As a 73-year-old, I consider the fear of power a consequence of Existential Angst, a fear of the consequences of one's actions, caused by the end of optimism and a fear of the future. This is a reality shamefully neglected by our political leaders, who are entirely focused on re-election and not minding our perception of the future.
A more recent example of ambivalence is the situation of Jette Nietzard of Germany's Green Party, "die Grüne", the political party most associated with Feminism. Until the end of 2025, Nietzard served as director of the Green Party's youth movement, "die Grüne Jugend". Despite her willowy youthfulness, Nietzard spoke boldly and provocatively in left-wing, feminist terms.
She carried a permanent grudge against the male sex, publishing famous quotes like "Men who lose their hands to firecrackers—at least they can no longer harass women." She also spoke of the need to talk about domestic violence instead of listening to "gekränkter Männeregos"—males with sick egos. In one interview, she appeared in an "Eat the Rich!" sweatshirt. In another, she appeared in an "A.C.A.B." sweatshirt. A.C.A.B. are the initials for "All Cops are Bastards."
Her provocative statements reached a climax when a fellow Green Party member Stefan Gelbhaar faced sexual harassment charges from dubiously anonymous sources. The Frankfurter Allgemeine published an article about Gelbhaar and quoted Nietzard, who summed up the problem this way: "Wo Macht existiert, wird Macht missbraucht." In English, this says, "Where power exists, there will be abuse of power."
Journalists in Germany assumed that she meant this as criticism of male-domination in Germany. Later, as periodicals in Germany released more information about Nietzard, they turned her words against her. Germans learned that Nietzard's own colleagues in the Green Party complained about her, saying she had "andere Mitgleider systematisch eingeschüchtert," systematically intimidated Party members who dissented to her policy-making.
There is no end to the Dark Princes and Princesses out there. You can spend your entire life trying to burn all the One Rings in the World. It's futile! Instead, we should increase our power and use it pro-actively. I have old friends who have retreated into a minimalist lifestyle. In their homes, they use a kerosene heater, draw water from a well, and dress in sack-like peasant clothing. It is so ridiculous! The Dark Princes don't care about the minimalist lifestyle. They just want to get at my old friends' trust-funds.