There are two ways of getting things done: persuasion or coercion. You either convince someone of the value of your ideas or you hold a (literal or metaphorical) gun to their head. The latter has been the norm throughout human history. Most of what we value about the contemporary West is a shift toward the former occurring over the last 250 years or so.
However, there’s an important difference between the despotisms of old and coercive governments in the modern era: modern-day tyrants frame themselves as the righteous side in any conflict.
The difference between coercion and persuasion cuts to the very heart of the kind of society we want to live in – one based on reason or one based on force.
Read: Righteousness + Force in America: The Trap of Righteous Activism Coupled with State Power at Ammo.com.