Strength Without Compassion is a Road to Ruin - Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU

Propaganda, strongmen, and authoritarianism are mainstays
across the authoritarian-liberatrian boundary, marked by a lack
of democratic and free elections, a codified hostility towards
threat to the social order, a lack of accountability, and
religious party loyalism. ªº¬˚∆≤≥≤≥ Join the mailing list
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Widespread lockdowns have triggered fears that the world
is taking a turn towards authoritarian rule, a government system
that’s marked by a lack of democratic and free elections, a
codified hostility towards threat to the social order, a lack of
accountability, and party loyalists at every turn.


The 20th century despots were very effective at playing
on endemic frustrations during long periods of economic
hardships. Hitler came to power during the interwar period where
Germany was dealing with extreme social instability following
reparation-driven hyperinflation. A  damaged information
ecology, where levels of mistrust and conspiratorial thinking go
through the roof, reinforces a want to be ruled by someone who
promises answers. They want an economic and social liferaft, not
nuance.


Living in fear causes a cascading reaction that activates
the fight-or-flight response at a constant level, which means
that people’s brains actually change - we lose our ability to
make well-reasoned, emotionally discharged decisions. Instead,
everything becomes reactive, a panicked stormy attempt to get out
ahead of the problem that they can’t get a clear perspective
on.


Despite the novelty of your democratic experiment, it
seems possible that you humans will live to improve it. Political
tolerance is one way of finding your way to strength. There has
to be an open exchange of ideas and interpretations. If you find
that there are voices being silenced, you must fight to make room
for their careful, public analysis, lest your satisfaction at
their absence be the weakness in your armor.


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#Strongmen #Authoritarianism #Dictators