"I have long been settled in my own opinion that neither philosophy, nor religion, nor morality, nor wisdom, nor interest, will ever govern nations or parties, against their vanity, their pride, their resentment, or revenge, or their avarice, or ambition. Nothing but force and power and strength can restrain them." --John Adams, Letter to Thomas Jefferson, 1787

I ran onto this quote by John Adams today and it stirred a thought about how would Objectivist govern. Would such a group fall sway to the evils described by Adams? Can any men hold their principles high enough to avoid the pitfalls of power, particularly ultimate power?