Wanna be a dictator? Why not...

From time to time, as readers will know as I have mentioned it before, I read some of the Internet chat programs and their many contributions. Most of it is absolute rubbish and more or less based on hearsay and fake news. It is difficult to pick out fake news because it is incessant and as we know what Mr Goebbels said during WW2, tell people often enough your lies, they will begin to believe them. So, it was interesting to read an article by a Canadian lady of possible Russian descent, Ms Nickell. This was on a Quora platform discussing facts – “Truth about Russia” with as subheading- “We challenge Kremlin’s propaganda”. The article was basically about dictators and why people followed them. Not just dictators like Hitler or Stalin but also people like business supremos. In fact anyone who aspired to lead an organisation, even a charity. The question asked was - how and what was necessary to attain the top of the pile? She wrote – “Tyrants or would-be dictators manipulate and intimidate people into believing things that don’t exist”! Like patriotism or nationalism. Today the fear of WW3 is brought on by whom? Exactly, politicians. This is a fear that is exacerbated by politicians to justify certain expenditure for which taxes have to be increased. She also said - “If, in former times, Governments were necessary to defend their people from other people's attacks, now, on the contrary, Governments artificially disturb the peace that exists between the nations, and provoke enmity among them”. Rather interesting because I have asked myself many times how wars and conflict arise. A book by Mr R Greene an US author of 1998 “The 48 Laws of Power” might throw some light of people’s innate will to lead, such as wanting power. He outlined 5 steps to be followed:

Step 1. Keep It Vague; Keep It Simple.

Step 2. Emphasize the Visual and the Sensual over the Intellectual.

Step 3. Borrow the Forms of Organized Religion to Structure the Group.

Step 4. Disguise Your Source of Income.

Step 5. Set Up an Us-Versus-Them Dynamic.

Familiar? I did not have to read the book to figure it out, just listen to any politician, yes also here in the UK, and you will have no trouble pointing out any or all of the above points. But worse, the run-of-the-mill person, the man/woman in the street who believes the rhetoric will find it difficult, if nigh on impossible, to abandon the thought processes instilled. Hence the American storming of the Capitol, the Russian belief that Ukraine is run by Nazis and in this country, the UK, the belief that borrowing money will solve all problems. Yes, it is an interesting life to say the least and I hope to see that some sense will prevail before the lies force us to confront yet again the possible demise of the human race. 

Similarly the case now playing out in Romania - Mr Andrew Tate's lust for power over the ladies - or so it seems. I say seems because the courts still need to decide. We'll see but again this shows what is outlined above. The will to have power over people. The problem is when this goes wrong and desires get out of hand. Money and sex generally. Let me ask a question - what makes people like our erstwhile PM, Churchill like Mr Johnson seek power? Is it his idea that somehow he is better? A belief his background made him suitable for political power because his dad had it? His whole family? Or is it because of money and sex? Just asking, thinking about step 2, perhaps an innate belief it was in his genetic make-up? Mr Tate's apparent belief he was the answer to any woman's dreams made him in real terms disrespect the same people. A good question to ask is  why did he leave to live in Romania? A country with great social inequalities? Hmmm, interesting. But I am not a judge, I leave that for the educated in that profession, I just observe and smile ruefully hoping that somehow we will get on the right road. The road of better understanding how the world really is. That perhaps there are no easy answers.