Darkness is good. Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That's power.

“Darkness is good. Dick Cheney, Darth Vader, Satan. That's power.” These words from Steve Bannon resonate with a chilling reflection on the nature of power and its darker manifestations. In ancient times, the concept of power was often understood to carry a dual nature — it could be wielded for justice and righteousness, but it could also be used for corruption and oppression. Bannon’s words evoke a troubling truth: that power is not inherently tied to virtue or goodness, but to the capacity to control, to dominate, and to instill fear. The darkness he refers to represents the force of authority that is unchallenged, often operating in secrecy, and driven by the ability to impose one’s will upon others.

The ancients recognized the dangerous allure of darkness as a form of power. In the myth of Hades, the god of the underworld, power over life and death is wielded from the shadows. Hades is a ruler who commands fear and respect, yet he is not a figure of light or benevolence. He rules the realm of the unseen, where the dead lie. Plato, in his allegory of the cave, spoke of the darkness as the realm of ignorance and deception, where those who remain in the shadows mistake the reflections for reality. In a similar way, Bannon’s words suggest that darkness — secrecy, manipulation, and coercion — is where true power resides, away from the light of truth and transparency.

In the context of Dick Cheney, former vice president of the United States, the quote alludes to a style of power that operates in the background, unseen and often unaccountable. Cheney was a man whose influence was immense, but whose actions were often shrouded in secrecy, particularly during the Iraq War and the broader fight against terrorism. His power, like the figures mentioned by Bannon, was dark in the sense that it was often exercised without the full transparency expected in democratic leadership. His decisions, like those of Darth Vader or Satan, were not to be questioned, and those who stood in his way were often crushed under the weight of his influence.

Darth Vader, the infamous villain of the Star Wars saga, symbolizes the corrupting influence of power when it is allowed to grow unchecked. Once a noble figure, Anakin Skywalker succumbed to the temptations of absolute control, believing that through darkness, he could bring about peace and order. But in reality, it was his obsession with power that led to his fall and the destruction of the very things he sought to protect. Vader represents the danger of power that is divorced from morality, where might becomes an end in itself, rather than a means to a just end. In this way, Bannon’s reference to Vader serves as a warning about the dangers of unchecked authority.

The figure of Satan in Christian tradition also serves as a symbol of ultimate power through darkness. Satan is not a being of open violence or force; his power lies in his ability to deceive, to manipulate, and to sow discord. He is the master of shadows, pulling the strings from behind the veil, showing that power does not always come through brute strength, but through the subtle corruption of the soul. Bannon's allusion to Satan speaks to the allure of darkness as a form of power — a power that is not won through righteousness or the will of the people, but through manipulation, fear, and control.

Thus, Bannon’s words serve as a reminder that power can be a double-edged sword. It can be wielded for good, but it can also descend into darkness, where the true intentions of those who hold it are obscured. The ancient wisdom warns us of the seductive nature of this dark power, urging us to remain vigilant against those who seek to control not through reason, but through fear and deceit. True power lies in the ability to lead with integrity, transparency, and justice, never letting the darkness of unchecked authority corrupt the soul.