The Myth of the King: What U.S. Protests Tell Us About Power Today
Across the United States this weekend, streets were filled with chants of “No kings, no crowns.” The protests, spurred by recent political rhetoric and fears of authoritarian overreach, sent a clear message: Donald Trump is no king. But beneath the chants lies a deeper question: What kind of power do we value in a democracy? And does loud, autocratic leadership signal strength — or a dangerous disconnect?
From the ashes of monarchy, modern democracies were born. But history reminds us again and again: unchecked power can lead to abuse. Yet power can also lead to extraordinary virtue — when it is distributed, not hoarded. When it empowers, not controls.
From Loud Dictators to Silent Engineers: What China’s Rise Tells Us
Some argue, often controversially, that dictatorships can maintain order in large, populous nations. Visitors returning from China sometimes speak with a grudging admiration for how “efficient” the system appears. But is that admiration actually compliance with a more dangerous narrative?
China’s rise has been strategic, quiet, and undeniable. While the United States has often dominated headlines with its loud political theatrics, China has been busy buying land, securing trade deals, expanding infrastructure, and accelerating green technology.
According to recent data:
China is the world's largest producer of solar panels and electric vehicles.
It owns or operates ports in over 90 foreign locations as part of its Belt and Road Initiative.
China’s GDP in purchasing power parity (PPP) surpassed the US as early as 2014.
Over the past two decades, China has lifted over 800 million people out of poverty.
But behind the impressive metrics lies a system built on centralized control, limited freedoms, and state surveillance. The world must ask: Can progress rooted in fear ever be sustainable? And what kind of future does that model truly build?
China’s model of centralized power delivers results, but at what social and environmental cost? And if that growth depends on centralized control, pollution, or resource depletion, it doesn’t meet the bar we need for our planet — or our people.
Power, Agency, and the Quiet Revolution
At our magazine, we talk often about agency — personal and collective. Because when people feel they have the power to shape their own lives, they are more fulfilled, more confident, and more resilient. This empowerment is not a luxury. It is the very fabric of any society that hopes to thrive in the face of climate breakdown, economic uncertainty, and political instability.
There are two kinds of revolutions:
The loud ones — flashy, disruptive, headline-grabbing.
And the quiet ones — built behind the scenes, over decades, even centuries.
The quiet revolution is what we need now. It is what keeps power in check, builds structures that distribute influence like a spider web, and ensures that leadership is earned — not inherited or taken by force.
Building Power From the Ground Up
Start with your own home. Your street. Your community. Because if your foundations are weak, how can you pretend to lead on a world stage?
Leadership begins with service, not self-interest. With structures that empower others, not with systems that preserve power at the top. As the global population grows, so must our commitment to shared governance, inclusive vision, and systemic equity.
And yes, this applies to global power structures as well. The United States, once the undisputed global leader, is now facing the consequences of prioritizing power over vision, division over unity, and consumption over sustainability.
The New Definition of “Great”: Green, Just, and Inclusive
If the 20th century was about dominance, the 21st must be about regeneration. The climate crisis, largely driven by the excesses of the Global North, demands not stronger fists but smarter systems. Nations must now lead not by fear or force, but by example:
Transitioning dirty industries to clean energy.
Investing in education, innovation, and community resilience.
Redefining what it means to be powerful in the age of planetary boundaries.
Imagine if we measured a country’s greatness not by its GDP, but by its capacity to uplift people, protect ecosystems, and spark imagination.
Power to the People: The Future Is Not Dictated
History doesn’t lack kings or emperors. But it does lack enough leaders who truly serve the people. And that is our challenge — and opportunity.
It is time to move from power over others to power with others.
From being ruled, to being heard.
From surviving, to thriving — together.
Because real power doesn't fear the people.
It comes from them.