at the mercy of скорее всего

реально, если перевести гуглом на английский, намного более здравый текст получается, хотя всё равно повторяющийся и путаный

известное же дело, что когда пытаешься на орочьем высрать что-то умное, то получается как подстрочник с английского, вот и светов попал в эту западню - лучше уж сразу на kulturnom писать

When discussing politics, we also imagined ourselves as judges, strict but fair. And we demanded that the authorities submit to our powerless tribunal. This was always Navalny's contradiction: "Hey, you bloody dictator, let me into the presidential elections so I can put you and your gang on trial. Are you afraid, Putin?"

Once this discrepancy is recognized, it's like an invisible gorilla—impossible to unsee. But for some reason, there was no one around who could find the words to explain it.

Idealism makes a person part of that force that eternally desires good and commits evil . Now I understand that the only thing that saved us from causing serious harm to ourselves and others was luck and the mercy of the authorities who tolerated us.
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This is a question I've been trying to answer, in one form or another, for 14 years now. In 2011, I couldn't understand how anyone could seek approval from the mayor's office to fight tyranny. Then, observing Belarusians, I couldn't understand why they were using flowers and good humor to try to overthrow a man they themselves called a tyrant.

It was a delusion. Pure delirium. What were they counting on, other than the mercy of the authority they were rebelling against? And if that was all they were counting on, then does that mean it was a rebellion against a merciful authority?
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Anyone who can't stand up for themselves and who has no one to stand up for them is an object, not a subject, of relationships. This isn't a question of what's right. It's the human condition.
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The first step toward recovering from idealism is recognizing that power exists and is with us forever. By power, I don't mean Putin or the state. I mean simply the stable forms it takes. I mean the natural law that without force, there can be no right. I repeat: force does not guarantee right. Force can also give rise to both mercy and tyranny. But force is necessary for right.

The more people defy natural law, the less compassionate the authorities will become