I first discovered the ecstasy of dominance during basic training in World War II. It was with lingering horror that I anticipated my turn to plunge my bayonet into a cloth dummy dressed in a German uniform. I was made to do it again and again with instructions to let myself experience rage.

What happened then was a total surprise to me. I felt an excitement rise in me that became quite pleasurable. I felt invincible.

In that moment, long ago, I was feeling the thrill of power. It was the “power over” variety, i.e., dominance.

I believe that dominance is not only pleasurable but is addictive. When the need for dominance becomes addictive, no amount of control is experienced as enough. Billionaires pursue greater wealth; Wall Streeters build enterprises that aim to extend power and wealth; candidates work day and night for years to get elected to gain wealth and power. They love it. Addiction rules.

The addictive drive for dominance produces success in business and politics. It is implicated in child abuse, rape and violent crime. It is present in international relations and war. It is in negotiations for peace. In short, it pervades society where the successfully dominant people tend to garner the most wealth and control.

In an endless cycle, the young achieve dominance and replace those who falter or die off. The most successful of the dominant class will defend their status by fair means or foul, whatever it takes.

The ruthlessness of the extremely dominant and the control they exert over people’s lives make it clear that the social and economic status of ordinary people will get worse. Improvement for the dominated classes will come if those classes gain in influence through either the vote or revolution.

Revolution is a terrible choice for subverting those addicted to dominance. Revolution is deadly for common people. They bear most of the burden of fighting. The new government is likely to create a new dominant class with inequality perpetuated.

Violence cannot generate either peace or social equality. War is the best example of dominance in its purest state. Peace and equality of opportunity are required for a satisfactory life for all people.

The best hope for peace and equality is in the vote. If the goal is to achieve good government for the benefit of all the people, the current role of the dominant class must be restrained. Capitalism is not necessarily the enemy of the people. The danger of capitalism is the lack of regulation for fairness at every level.

The world has had far too many power-addicted leaders who favored their own needs over the needs of the public. Today, power-addicted leaders in the United States are members of the military-industrial complex. Extraordinary wealth in a relatively few hands has corrupted the democratic essence of America.

Nevertheless, in ever-increasing ways, a hunger can be sensed among people for a better life, free of domination. The vote can best feed that hunger. It is encouraging to those who support change-by-vote that on June 9, the New York Times reported a major change by the Turkish electorate. They voted to limit the increasing tyranny of their president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

What one country can do, another can do. The American people have all the freedom they need to remake their country. People need the will to unify around the changes that will improve their lives.

Addictive domination can yield to cooperation.

Hubert Kauffman, Ph.D. is a retired clinical psychologist.

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