When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.
Proverbs 28:12 (ESV)
Here, Leithart makes a great observation about this verse:
When the wicked achieve primacy (are raised up on high, as stars in the heavens), then it is dangerous for glory to be seen. Men go into hiding. This is an important dynamic of political history. Wicked rulers suppress talent and energy by pushing men into hiding. They may hope to achieve glory, but they achieve the opposite – a drain of glory.
Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China, they both promised a glorious empire, a crowning human achievement. What happened? The righteous, along with most of the smart folks went into hiding – smacked down by the oppression. Instead of a glorious state they get a big disappointment. The same thing will happen again.