The Fourteen Characteristics of Tyranny

The reality of this world is that most people try to do right and try to do good. Some people think that they are doing good when they do ruthless, manipulative things, but most people justifying the ends justify the means are simply not thinking about doing good. They may justify their efforts as helping some long term good, but it is clear that they are thinking of their own fame and fortune.

For some people life is a game, an often cruel game, where all that matters is who is on top and who is not. For some people, the world is an animal place. People who see things that way live in politics and business as if they were snakes, dogs, wolves and the rest of us were sheep. Such people fit psychological profiles that sometimes are labeled as mentally ill, but in truth, spiritual illness is not something that can be treated by psychologists and is reinforced by perverse religions. People can be motivated by anger, ambition, fear. They can be motivated by an unhealable pain. They can be motivated by joy. There are people who don't feel much pain themselves, but inflict it on others. There are many terms for them;

• Psychopaths,
• Sociopaths,
• Narcissists,

But when we give such people, power, they make others suffer.

 

Tyranny is Always the Same

John Locke, in his two treatises on Government Defined tyranny as:

Indeed, Tyranny is “power” exercised for “private, separate advantage” And that is a characteristic of all bad governments. They can call themselves "socialist", or "capitalist", or brand themselves in a myriad of ways, but they rarely admit they are fascist, even when they exemplify the characteristics of fascism:

14 Characteristics of Tyranny

1. Exploitation of Nationalism for Filibusters and conquest
2. Disdain for Human Rights
3. Uniting around fear and scapegoating
4. Militarism
5. Misogyny
6. Controlled Media/Propaganda.
7. Use of Fear and Secrecy to control people.
8. Misuse of religion to justify the Status Quo.
9. Political and Economic power in same hands.
10. Workers and common folks oppressed.
11. Disdain for Arts and Sciences and facts.
12. Obsession with Crime and punishment of scapegoats.
13. Cronyism, Corruption and lies
14. Fraudulent (or non existent) elections

These 14 Characteristics are also characteristics of tyranny. Maybe the word "fascism" is outdated. We may be afraid of Fascism, or afraid to use the term, but where-ever people practice fascism they also practice deception and gaslighting. Because at the apex of fascist systems is the manipulation of people for the sake of the few.

Not New

This is not a new system. People have lived under tyranny of one form or another, all over the world, for long periods of time. Most of the list of characteristics of fascism can also be used to describe many Iron Age and ancient regimes, kingdoms, classical greek tyrannies, the Holy Roman Empire, Monarchism, or Bonapartism, Maoism, Leninism, etc...

Tyranny Versus Actual Liberty

Swap up a few hot button characteristics like corporatism for collectivism or one party rule of business for business ruling the party, and there is little difference between these dystopic systems. Sadly the visions of radicals world wide wind up at the same place. Some radicals want a better world, with them in control. Others simply seek a world where they are in control. In any case, the salient cause of of tyrannical system is always disregard of common-wealth, common interest and the general good, for the sake of the few. Without democratic and republican principles in daily life, tyranny is tyranny, whatever the label.

Slavery for the Many, Economic Liberty for the few

Those aren't 14 characteristics of Fascism, they are characteristics of Tyranny. Tyrants may talk about the importance of the "liberty of property", or "economic freedom" but they mean the liberty of a few and tyranny over the many. Tyrants may talk about "the people," but they mean their liberty. Revolutionaries may talk about taking back property for the masses, but they usually end up taking care of themselves. Only by having a system that checks the power of the few, that puts the many in charge of judging crimes and who becomes an officer, can we moderate nascent tyrants into public servants. It's a choice.

That is all for this post.