HoltesThoughts: The Dictators Playbook

DRAFT

Dictators around the world follow the same playbook because of both the nature of dictators & their followers.

Dictators are almost always power hungry con artists. Their followers are either Social Dominators or RW Authoritarians.

For more on this see:

Authoritarian Nightmare, John W Dean & Robert Altemeyer

The playbook is always the same.

Phase One: Authoritarian Assault

Modern Fascism is best given a new name that describes its attributes. It should be called the "Mafia State", because ideology is secondary to the purpose of the authoritarian dominators who seek to create these autocracies. Power and wealth are first. A fellow named Bálint Magyar described this kind of movement and resulting government in his writings. He was observing what was happening in his own country, the former Soviet Union, and around the world. He also described how the transformation of countries occurred. The first phase is “Authoritarian Assault.” Masha Gessen refers to him in her most recent book.

STEP ONE

They generally recruit leaders from people who are both power hungry "Power-mad" and ruthless. Typical power mad people exhibit pathological, narcissistic traits.

The people who create dictatorships are

Exploitive

Manipulative

Amoral

Dishonest.

Without followers such people go nowhere. But birds of a feather flock together and power mad people consciously form hierarchies that recruit or suborn each other. So the wannabe dictator recruits rivals with blackmail and appeals to ambition and greed.

Authoritarian followers.

The bulk of a dictators followers however are people who are fearful.