United We Stand

From http://mjshii.deviantart.com/art/United-We-Stand-420832880

 "United we stand."

They had adopted the policy, believed in it. Believed in themselves, that they had power. Even though they were only citizens, each of them nothing but a +1 to the population count, they believed that with numbers they could change their government, that with friends and family and protesting they could change their lives.

How wrong they were.

For it is not "United we stand", but rather, "Powerful we stand".

The uniting of weaklings stand for nothing at all.

They did not understand this. How could they? None of them had even known power, and their leader had brought them together with sweet sentiments and encouraging words. They had thought, even if we aren't powerful, we're together, and our leader will lead us through the darkness of these days. Alas, but their leader was powerless too. Powerless to stop and powerless to change anything. For if the leader had been powerful enough to change the government, he would not have needed all the millions of people to join his cause. He could have simply overturned it himself...

Numbers do not mean anything. They did not know that simply being there would not change the way the world had thought and felt. They did not understand the magnitude of what they had attempted to overthrow. They did not realize that the empire had stood for thousands of years for a reason.

Selfishly, they believed that they could change it. They believed that their view upon the world was correct, and through numbers- multitudes of untalented bystanders, everyday citizens- that they could and would change the way the world was.

Sometimes, the world does not need changing.

They had called themselves the Vigilant, the ones who kept careful watch over ordinary citizens and protected them. Their efforts at protection were temporary at best, harmful at worst. They had not understood that not everyone needed protection.

They held rallies, spoke to the citizens of the long-standing empire. They shouted words of criticism against the empire, and declared that they could change it, could make things better. Foolishly, many citizens believed them. It is arrogance that caused these talentless to stand against the empire. It is foolishness that makes them believe that they can win.

This empire has stood for millenia. It has withstood far greater rebellions than this. It has withstood rebellions in which the whole of the citizen body had needed to be put down, for they were too excited with the notions of their revolution. See, that is how powerless the citizens are. How greatly held in the empire's minds. If the entire population is rebelling, replace it.

They are replaceable, every one of them. They fear that, fear being replaced. They fear passing from this world without making any changes upon it at all. They fear being forgotten. That is their weakness.

That is why they are powerless. In their desperation to change the world, oftentimes they change it for worse. The hands that they had hoped would reshape the stone turn out to be, instead, the hands that mar its already perfect natural beauty.

Sometimes, the world does not need changing. Sometimes, it is good enough just the way it is.