Is there really such a thing as a dictator? My question may seem strange. However, I recall some social commentator decades ago saying "there's no such thing as one-man rule, for even the king has to sleep at night." I call it the "Cromwellian rule of ten percent." Supposedly (and like many stories, it may be apocryphal) at one time during his authoritarian rule, Cromwell's popularity with the people took a nosedive. One of his cabinet members asked him if this caused him concern. The Lord Protector allegedly replied: "What doth it concern me if nine out of ten be against me if the one who be for me doth hold a gun to the back of the other nine?" In other words, even a "dictator" must enjoy some base of support (e.g., the army, secret police, party faithful).
I recall reading Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer on the rise of mass movements and their effects (1951 pub) at Georgetown. Hoffer’s book is most apt for understanding the 21st century dictatoships.
My political theory professor was Jan Karski, a Polish refugee known for A Story of a Secret State. At 20, Secret Service Agent Karski gathered intelligence about the Holocaust in Poland and even met with FDR. Here we have a clear-eyed observation of the horrors of dictatorship in the extreme.
Is there really such a thing as a dictator? My question may seem strange. However, I recall some social commentator decades ago saying "there's no such thing as one-man rule, for even the king has to sleep at night." I call it the "Cromwellian rule of ten percent." Supposedly (and like many stories, it may be apocryphal) at one time during his authoritarian rule, Cromwell's popularity with the people took a nosedive. One of his cabinet members asked him if this caused him concern. The Lord Protector allegedly replied: "What doth it concern me if nine out of ten be against me if the one who be for me doth hold a gun to the back of the other nine?" In other words, even a "dictator" must enjoy some base of support (e.g., the army, secret police, party faithful).
I’m afraid we will ALL find out how a dictatorship works shortly…
I recall reading Eric Hoffer’s The True Believer on the rise of mass movements and their effects (1951 pub) at Georgetown. Hoffer’s book is most apt for understanding the 21st century dictatoships.
My political theory professor was Jan Karski, a Polish refugee known for A Story of a Secret State. At 20, Secret Service Agent Karski gathered intelligence about the Holocaust in Poland and even met with FDR. Here we have a clear-eyed observation of the horrors of dictatorship in the extreme.
As always, thank you for your valuable insights.