“The core of anarchist tradition is that power is always illegitimate, until it proves itself to be legitimate…
…It is the responsibility of those who exercise power to show that somehow it’s legitimate. It’s not the responsibility of anyone else to show that it’s illegitimate. It’s illegitimate by assumption…
Harry Kreisler interview with Noam Chomsky
This burden of proof issue is huge and much of the recent tyranny couldn't have happened if people thought this way.
Yes. Instead of fulfilling this burden of proof, the powerful elite have shifted their energies to establishing a collective myth that legitimizes their position of authority.
Nationalism, God-given authority over others, American Exceptionalism, the belief that US foreign policy and the spread of democracy exists for the benefit of mankind…the collective myth to which we all bow down has neutered us and prostrated us at the feet of Capital.
