This is Hamamoto from TIMEWELL
This is Hamamoto from TIMEWELL.
When We Hear the Word "Dictator," We Tend to Think of Historical Figures
When we hear the word "dictator," we tend to think of historical figures — Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin. But authoritarian leaders who seize power through autocratic methods are not confined to the past. They exist in the present day as well. What traits define a dictator, and what tactics do they use to grip power?
Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar specializing in dictatorships and authoritarian politics, appeared on WIRED to answer questions about how strongmen maintain power and what authoritarian regimes actually look like in practice. This article draws on her insights to examine how dictators operate — and why that matters.
- Propaganda and the Manipulation of Public Opinion
- Manufactured Charisma and the Cult of Personality
- The Enemies Dictators Create and the Politics of Exclusion
- Defending Democracy from Dictators
- Summary
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Propaganda and the Manipulation of Public Opinion
One of the most characteristic tools dictators use to maintain power is propaganda — flooding the information environment with content that serves their interests and manipulating how the public thinks.
By Controlling the Media and Suppressing Journalists, They Conceal the Truth
By controlling the media and suppressing journalists, they conceal the truth and spread disinformation.
Professor Ben-Ghiat cites Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's chief propagandist, as an example — noting that Goebbels understood the critical importance of propaganda from early on.
Goebbels mastered the use of then-cutting-edge media like radio and film to saturate the population with Nazi ideology. Modern dictators do the same thing, using the internet and social media to flood the information space with self-serving narratives and shape public opinion. For a dictator, controlling the media is the key to staying in power.
Dictators also work systematically to crush all opposition. They dismiss critical journalists as purveyors of "fake news" to undermine their credibility. They censor information unfavorable to the government, depriving citizens of the chance to encounter the truth.
Manufactured Charisma and the Cult of Personality
Manufactured Charisma and the Cult of Personality
Dictators cultivate an image of personal charisma and encourage a cult of personality as a way of asserting the legitimacy of their rule. Professor Ben-Ghiat points to Mussolini, who famously displayed his physical form as a symbol of Italy's strength and vitality.
Hitler, similarly, worked the crowd at Nazi party rallies with incendiary speeches, whipping the German public into a frenzy.
Dictators use powerful oratory and theatrical spectacle to stir mass enthusiasm and build a fanatical following. Portraits and statues of themselves are placed everywhere — the cult of the individual is cultivated as an instrument of control.
By casting themselves as "saviors of the people," dictators seek to win mass support. In times of economic crisis and social anxiety, they position themselves as the only ones capable of rescuing the nation — and use that claim to seize power.
For a dictator, charisma and the cult of personality are sources of power and powerful weapons for preventing the public from thinking critically.
Another crucial tactic dictators use is the creation and elimination of "enemies."
Professor Ben-Ghiat explains that in fascism, these "enemies" were communists and socialists.
Dictators Frequently Manufacture External Enemies to Distract Citizens from Domestic Problems
Dictators frequently manufacture external enemies to distract citizens from domestic problems.
Hitler designated the Jews as "enemies" and pursued a policy of extermination. Stalin purged those he labeled "counter-revolutionaries." Under authoritarian regimes, minority groups are frequently targeted.
For a dictator, directing popular anger and frustration at a designated "enemy" is an effective way of protecting their own power.
Dictators also exploit nationalism to justify hostility toward neighboring countries and territorial expansion. Just as Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland, dictators stoke patriotic fervor to legitimize wars of aggression.
Today, the oppression of ethnic minorities in China, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and countless other acts of human rights abuse and aggression by authoritarian regimes continue without end. Creating enemies and stoking exclusionary politics remains a standard tactic for dictators to deflect public discontent and maintain their grip on power.
Defending Democracy from Dictators
Professor Ben-Ghiat argues that defending democracy from dictators requires each individual citizen to take an active role. We need to understand how dictators operate and remain vigilant against being misled by propaganda.
That requires the following kinds of efforts:
- Ensuring Media Independence and Commitment to Fact-Based Reporting
Ensuring media independence and commitment to fact-based reporting
Strengthening civil society and building mechanisms that can check government overreach
Spreading democratic values through education and developing critical thinking skills
International cooperation to deter human rights abuses and acts of aggression by authoritarian regimes
Dictators deceive the public through sophisticated tactics and maintain their power — but when each of us makes wise and informed judgments and develops a consciousness of defending democracy, we can stand against the threat of authoritarianism. Let's draw on the lessons of history and sharpen our ability to recognize a dictator's playbook.
Autocratic rule by dictators is a tragedy that has repeated itself many times throughout human history.
Dictators have dominated and controlled populations through propaganda and repression, through the performance of charisma and the promotion of personality cults, and through the manufacture of enemies and the politics of exclusion.
But when each of us understands the value of democracy and develops a consciousness for standing against the threat of authoritarianism, we can put the brakes on autocracy. Ensuring media independence, strengthening civil society, and spreading democratic values through education are all essential.
We Also Have a Responsibility Not to Participate in the Labeling of "Enemies"
We also have a responsibility not to participate in the labeling of "enemies" that dictators create, and to build a tolerant society that respects diversity.
To protect the values of democracy, it is indispensable for citizens to actively participate in politics and maintain a posture of holding power accountable.
Applying the lessons learned from history — and having each of us become a guardian of democracy — is the key to preventing the rise of dictators. Drawing on the knowledge of experts, let's deepen our understanding of the traits and tactics of dictators and take action toward the realization of a truly democratic society.
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK6fALsenmw
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