The less a regime—whether a governing or political philosophy, a state religion, or a culture—truly believes in itself and its mission, the greater and more stringent the demands for orthodoxy become. That which is incapable of producing an answer reacts menacingly to every question. The fact that we may be ruled by a system in decline, however, does not mean it lacks force. Tyranny is often the waning power of something that was once better but can now only remain in power through a more corrupted, hands-on form.