original sin

Do you assume that your rulers are likely to have evil intentions?

Andrew Sullivan assumes you do:

In the West, we assume that the intentions of our rulers are likely to be evil.

Really?

I assume that the intentions of my rulers are both self-serving and public-spirited. I assume that my rulers are likely to be deeply flawed, inconsistent, weak, and fallible—because, after all, they are mere human beings. I assume that power corrupts.

I do not assume that my rulers have evil intentions.