If we give up on politics, we're done for. Powerlessness is a

O children of the future, hear the words of Robert Reich, for in them lies a profound truth: "If we give up on politics, we're done for. Powerlessness is a self-fulfilling prophesy." In these words, he speaks of a great and timeless struggle—the battle for power, for control over our destiny. To turn away from politics is to surrender to the forces that seek to shape the world without our consent. For when we abandon the realm of decision-making, when we relinquish our voice in the shaping of the world, we set in motion a cycle of powerlessness that will consume us, a prophecy written by our own neglect.

In the ancient cities of Athens and Rome, the citizens knew well the importance of politics—the delicate balance of power between the rulers and the ruled. When the people abandoned their duty, when they grew complacent or fearful, the forces of tyranny often rose to fill the void. Socrates, that wise philosopher, knew that the power of the people was the key to a just society, yet he saw how easily it could be corrupted or squandered. Cicero, too, warned of the dangers of complacency—that when the citizens forsake their role, they lose not just their voice, but their very agency. To give up on politics is to hand over the reins of the world to those who will use it against us.

Consider the American Revolution, when the colonists, in their revolt against tyranny, rose up to reclaim their right to shape their own fate. Thomas Paine, in his stirring writings, reminded the people that it was not enough to simply yearn for freedom—they had to take action, to involve themselves in the political process, to fight for the power that had been stolen from them. When the people stood firm, when they engaged in the struggle for justice, they were not simply changing laws; they were defining their future, ensuring that powerlessness would not be their inheritance.

Robert Reich speaks of a crucial truth that has echoed through time: to forsake politics is to accept a future written by others, a future in which we are mere pawns in the game of the powerful. History has shown us that when the people fall silent, when they cease to act, the forces of oppression will fill the vacuum. It is action in the realm of politics that shapes the course of history. To say, "It does not concern me," is to seal one's own fate, to embrace the chains of powerlessness. It is through politics, through engagement, that we have the power to change our world, to lift our voices in defiance against those who would use us.

And so, O heirs of wisdom, let the words of Robert Reich echo in your hearts: "If we give up on politics, we're done for." For the political process is not just a matter of law, but of life itself. It is through our collective will, our engagement, our refusal to be silent, that we shape the world we live in. If we do not participate, if we allow powerlessness to become our fate, then we shall be trapped in a cycle of subjugation. But if we rise, if we stand together, the future is ours to define. The prophecy of powerlessness can be undone, but only if we choose to fight for the power that is our birthright.