Intelligence Squared
What Keeps Tyrants in Power? with Marcel Dirsus
Aug 9, 2024
Marcel Dirsus, a political scientist and author of How Tyrants Fall, and Hannah Lucinda Smith, Turkey correspondent for The Times, dive deep into the mechanics of tyrannical regimes. They examine historical examples like Gaddafi and Mugabe to uncover what sustains these dictators. The discussion also highlights the transformation of democratic leaders into tyrants and the significance of nonviolent resistance. Surprising insights on social media’s dual role in empowering dissent yet reinforcing control are also explored, painting a complex picture of modern authoritarianism.
35:05
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Quick takeaways
- Dictators often disguise their tyranny under a veneer of democratic processes, creating a complex relationship with public support and governance.
- The psychological traits of paranoia and brutality in dictators can lead to increasingly violent measures as they become more desperate to retain power.
Deep dives
The Nature of Tyranny
The podcast discusses the attributes and consequences of various forms of tyranny, emphasizing that not all autocrats fit a single mold. It explores dictators like Tayyip Erdogan and Alexander Vucic, highlighting that they often present themselves as democratic leaders while practicing flawed democratic processes or outright tyranny. The speaker introduces an expansive definition of tyranny, which allows for the examination of both historical and contemporary figures who maintain power by satisfying a small elite. This approach provides a framework for understanding how such leaders manage to stay in power despite doing harm to larger populations.
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