This song and video is an essay that points out that man's possibility is limitless, and how recognition of this fact can lead to dramatically divergent paths given different approaches.
For the power monger, freedom means influence and growing power. Curing diseases and splitting atoms, using brainpower to 'make the world better' while seemingly neglecting real people (I can do anything with no assistance (or is it resistance?, either way...)), and being mostly oblivious of the horrors that were to come under his reign. "My cause is noble," he says.
Maybe so. Then again maybe it's inevitable that someone who solely focuses on helping the world in an introverted, self-righteous way naturally comes to the point where they are so out of touch with the reality of people that they can only do harm (even though it might feel right and just).
Which path have I chosen? The musician is portrayed as the one really caring and standing up for people and their freedoms, whereby the politician is working to do things 'on behalf of' others, without seeming to really have a pulse on what people want or need.
I guess most people with a civic conscience get most of their power from actually talking and working and helping real people. For me, I have accepted in the past decade or so that my sweet spot, the way in which I can make the most contribution, is by spending my time focused on ideas and technical pursuits. I still feel this is efficient use of my time, but I wonder if at some point I'll lose touch with how the work I do is really helping...or not helping at all.
