The Politico-Authoritarian Pathology

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authoritarianism – the fallacy that superiority confers on certain persons the right to impose their will on their inferiors, without an impartial trial; the justification for the use of public power beyond the enforcement of the Law

autocrat – the individual that controls government in a territory

totalitarianism – the justification of the use of power into every aspect of the life of a person

hegemony – the use of public power in violation of the Law against political opponents, inside or outside of the State

oppression – the systematic violation of liberty

coup d’État – the coercive reorganization of a government by a political faction within government

revolution – the coercive reorganization of a government by a political faction external to government

war – reciprocal violation of the Law between factions or States

M.A.D. – mutual assured destruction; the inevitable end of international politics not limited by Law

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CONTEXT FOR THE TERMS

Populism has within it the implication that the People are victims and that the populist politicians are its saviours. From there comes the idea, very logical one, that these saviours are superior to the victims and the supposed enemies inferior to everyone. Authoritarianism is the fallacy that superiority confers on certain people the right to impose their will on those who are inferior, without an impartial trial to determine if the Law really was violated. It is the implicit justification for using government to go beyond enforcing the Law.

The People become disenchanted with democracy, with the shameless pandering for votes; the potential autocrat points to the other politicians as the ones responsible for the corruption, inequality, and poverty. The former saviours become the new “enemies.” A weary and deluded populate tires of the increasing poverty and misery and swallows wholesale the lies of the potential dictator.

Because of the popular support for the autocrat, the other politicians capitulate and relinquish power, leaving a broken People incapable of resisting and defending themselves from the dictator that arrived thanks to deceit and entrenches himself with arbitrary coercion.

If that State gets up again or if the dictator will continue to subjugate it depends on how much the People have learned to value the liberty that, like the air, is only missed when it is gone.

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Photograph: General Iroh, the Dragon of the West - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89452327