Defining Dictatorship
Prof. Fathali M. Moghaddam, Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University and the director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science in the seminal book The Psychology of Dictatorship published in 2015 defined:
Dictatorship is rule by single person or a clique that is not elected by free and fair elections by the subject population and not removable through popular election, with direct control of security apparatus that represses political opposition; without any independent legislative and judicial checks; with policies that reflect the wishes and the whims of the dictator individual or clique rather than the popular will; and with a high degree of control over the education system, the mass media, the communication and information system, as well as the movement of citizens toward the goal of continuing monopoly rule by the regime.
He described that the new power bewildered Khomeini once he consolidated power in his own hand, and finally turned from “revolutionary” to the “Supreme Leader” in his lifetime. That was four years after what was called the “Ethiopian Revolution” that deposed a similar despotic petty feud-monarchy and turned into the most brutal military dictatorship.
Dr. Moghaddam stated:
Dictatorship and democracy should be considered in categorical terms but as the end poles of a continuum. He prophetically described the springboard model of dictatorship that distinguishes explaining the psychology of dictatorship as traditional methods of the psychology of dictators focuses on what is inside individuals, from traits in personality psychology to bits of the brain in contemporary neuroscience, and neglects the socially constructed world “out there.”
Several revolutions that would have seemed to signal transitions from dictatorship to democracy have had also disappointing outcomes in most parts of the world. A tragic recurring theme in human history is that revolutions and sacrifices aimed at removing dictators often result in their replacement by another, often a worse, dictator.
The question of why and how it happens has remained unanswered in the academic sphere. How can a society that has experienced the harsh realities of life under a dictatorship who sacrificed everything to overthrow dictators, experiencing a brief period of euphoria, allow dictators to govern and soon find themselves living under a new, even more, oppressive totalitarian regime again and again? What makes dictators relapse like a Malaria infection?
The Evolution of a Dictatorship
The emergence of dictators like Hitler In Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Stalin in the Soviet Union, Khomeini, in Iran Mengistu, Meles, and Abiy in a dependent Settler colonial Abyssinian Empire can be traced back to a systematic and institutionalized environment in their societies. They can only be dictators in their respective societies.
The Springboard Model of Dictatorship
The springboard model of dictatorship described by Dr. Moghaddam is concerned with, how dictatorships continue to survive and how democracies sometimes move backward to dictatorship within a particular society and prophetically called the paradoxes of revolutions known in the world.
The revolution deposed dictators and turned again back to dictators, whereby the major actors who called themselves the leaders of revolutionists, the leaders of freedom fighters, and the leaders of Liberations nonetheless gradually became transformational dictators and finally pure dictators in most cause to the worst, brutal, ruthless dictators as the previous one.
The model explains the nitty-gritty of a particular society and their respective leaders who come to power as “revolutionists, liberators” who took charge of the revolution of the masses to transform their society into what was called democracy minimum charges.
The task has been given at least to facilitate minimal conditions for the society they serve. That is the fundamental right of freedom of speech, freedom of writing, and publishing contrary opinions. Freedom of critics in broadcasts on local radios publishing local newspapers or other communication vehicles without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical and psychological harm.
Transformational Dictatorships (TD)
The duties of transformational dictators, officially called “transitional government” in the rhetorics of serving as a bridge from dictatorship to democracy have been to facilitate the conditions in which truly alternative candidates compete and citizens vote free their most powerful leader or candidate they trust. The task was given to facilitate, fair and regular elections at an international standard of fairness and regulations mentored by international, third-party observers. And that is found only on pieces of paper and lip serves nothing more or less.
Dictators use the guise of “Democracy” to stay in power, manipulating their citizens’ minds in initial phases. The transformational dictatorship has a particular social order in its mind, with ideal citizens who would fit in with and uphold the intended social order. They aim to change people to rigidly conform to an ideal mold.
Such a regime uses overbearing military force and an enormous security system to implement major political and cultural programs to try to transfer individuals into what they consider to be an ideal human type. Ideology does have a role in dictatorships.
To draw a red line between the end poles, that is pure dictatorship at one end and pure democracy at the other. Most societies fall somewhere in between these two poles with some societies falling closer to the end of the pure dictatorship, and other societies closer to pure democracy.
But even extreme cases that fall closer to one or the other must be seen as changeable because dictatorships can, under certain conditions move toward the democracy end, and democracies can shift back toward the dictatorship end.
During this period, the dictator carefully mobilizes his supporters and global recognition and acquisition of hard currency loans, military hardware.etc., based on sworn false promises to the level to be sold as truth. The new dictator temporarily opens the majority of the previously closed gates established by the former dictator, releasing the people, the political party leaders, and members.etc., incarcerated by previous dictators.
They allow previously forbidden media outlets, political forces, individuals, or groups from the diaspora that suit the wishes and whims of the dictator. They invite them and award them with key positions to fill in the blanks. Dictators invent, create, and determine their ideal citizens that suit their psyche.
The whole dram dictators played most significantly in the flag anthem of independent African states in the initial phase has been planned to be used as a trademark, and a license to get hard currency loans, war machinery, and recognitions from abroad and global arena and to secure their power as early as possible. It was well documented that at least half of the formal compliant of brutal dictatorships in the world have been found in African content. Indeed, the entire African people have been ruled by dictators except for some fingers-counted states and small Islands.
In the meantime, to establish loyal cohesive circles around them, to select individuals or groups to join their enterprise locally and embolden them. They will be then deployed to assist in identifying and eliminating the groups, parties, and individuals labeled as the main adversaries by all means possible and brutally exploit the resources to enrich themselves.
They will be deployed all in one to suppress mass protests, the formidable opposing forces that they could not compete with by any standard in real if an opportunity is given them to breathe, move free according to what has been written as laws and regulations the temporary dictators signed and sworn on day one they assumed the office. They gradually transform into the second stage, to stable dictatorship.
Stable Dictatoictatorships
Once the dictator is convinced to stand on his two feet, he begins to reverse stage one as soon as possible. In other words, the word democracy, which was adopted and promised to strive, was indeed used to bait the people. Democracy comes from the Greek words “demos”, meaning people, and “kratos” meaning power, so democracy simply means “power of the people”, a system of governing which depends on the will of the people.
Most dictators have criminal backgrounds and their hands have been smeared with blood. They knew from day one they assumed the office to give a chance to the will of the people is equivalent to swallowing suicide-cyanide pills willingly and they will never do it willingly.
In this phase, they begin to mobilize and deploy all repressive tools and close and confiscate all free and independent people’s media outlets if necessary jail the journalists in service byinveting false allegations. Then they move to the formidable political parties with whom the dictator had found consensus and returned home from exile to work together to a better future. A fatal erratum they trusted the untrusted dictator and jumped into the political quagmire. In most cases, they paid for it with their life. Dictators have been known as globally reckoned innate pathological lairs and cold-blooded killers worse than any beast.
Out of African dictators, the article hunts a series of dictators of one of the most barbaric, backward dependent settler colonial Abyssinia empires that contemporary trades with a stolen and fake name “Ethiopia” as perfect example.
To be more specific, serial dictators of dependent settler colonial Abyssinia empires in folks’ mouths, the Naftenya (gun Carriers) turned into a lifelong brutal tyrannical rule to their last breaths. Post, the collapse of the Soviet block, some of them attested to the term “democracy” and renamed the terra they controlled to the “democratic federal republic” nominally without the slightest shame.
A disgrace to the masses of the downtrodden population incarcerated within the empire and an insult to the terms they adopted, to say the least. They have been neither democratic nor federal but a brutal one-man rule dictatorship.
Continues in part II
Out of African dictators, the article hunts a series of dictators of one of the most barbaric, backward dependent settler colonial Abyssinia empires that contemporary trades with a stolen and fake name “Ethiopia” as perfect example.
To be more specific, serial dictators of dependent settler colonial Abyssinia empires in folks’ mouths, the Naftenya (gun Carriers) turned into a lifelong brutal tyrannical rule to their last breaths. Post, the collapse of the Soviet block, some of them attested to the term “democracy” and renamed the terra they controlled to the “democratic federal republic” nominally without the slightest shame.
A disgrace to the masses of the downtrodden population incarcerated within the empire and an insult to the terms they adopted, to say the least. They have been neither democratic nor federal but a brutal one-man rule dictatorship.
Continues in part II
****************************************************************************************************************
Dictators
a Malaria disease?
Africa –
ruled by dictators at least post the so-called “Liberation Struggle” against colonialism. The struggle led to only flag-anthem Independence.
Abyssinia
to attest to the term “democracy” even naming “democratic republic”
shamelessly. The real Abyssinian Empire that contemporary treads, with stolen
and fake names Ethiopia and the Congo is the perfect example.
client, Mengistu’s rule of terror and horror for solid seventeen years was collapsed,
and finally, he was forced to flee out of the empire to Harare, Zimbabwe
orchestrated by the USA before the three liberation fronts heading toward, and
reached Finfinnee and shoot him dead. Nevertheless, the military junta was replaced,
by another worst brutal cold-blood killer Meles Zenawi until his last air.
settler-colonial Abyssinian (Neftagna–Safary)system with unwavering and firm determination.
back to the rule of dictators.
bodyguard of the dictator and the ruling elite’s interests that operate under
absolute secrecy that protects by keeping the empire intact. Anything and
anyone whom the intelligence officer earmarks, suspected as dangerous to the
rule of a dictator and their direct control of security apparatus must be
eliminated promptly with all means possible. The army intelligence officer serves
analog to metal detectors a tool successively used to unearth bombs dropped
drown in war zones to dug up cautiously before it explodes so that the land can
be used.
officer earmarked, as the alarm signal in special metal detected the deviants
and plotted them the officer reports and recommends to the regimes ruling
elites to eliminate and deploys all tools of violence and nonviolence suppression
methods.
oppositions and their leads, supporters, sympathizers, independent media outlets
in any form, written or oral independent local and international civic and
humanitarian organizations, etc. The regime takes measures corresponding to the
level the intensity of the so-called the deviates, such mass killings,
incarnations, expulsions, all violent and non-violent repress means, and
tactics, by pointing a loaded gun at the heads of downtrodden, authentic terror
to silence the mass revolt. In dictatorships, there are no independent
legislative and judicial checks and the policies reflect the wishes and the
whims of the dictator individual, the cohesion of the ruling elites or clique
rather than the popular will.
Moghaddam, Professor of psychology at Georgetown University and the director of
the Interdisciplinary Program in cognitive science in the seminal book The
Psychology of Dictatorship published in 2015 defined:
not elected by free and fair elections by the subject population and not
removable through popular election, with direct control of security apparatus
that represses political opposition; without any independent legislative and
judicial checks; with policies that reflect the wishes and the whims of the
dictator individual or clique rather than the popular will; and with a high
degree of control over the education system, the mass media, the communication
and information system, as well as the movement of citizens toward the goal of
continuing monopoly rule by the regime.
born who lived Iran’s revolution that deposed the dictatorship of the last
despotic monarchy of Iran Pahlavi Shah in 1978-1979. He went back from England
joined his family to celebrate the freedom and remained at home for 5 years in
a hope that Iran can avoid returning back, NAY to dictatorship, but his hope
was soon dashed as he said and Iran returned back to dictatorship.
new power bewilders Khomeini once consolidation power in his own hand, finally
turned from “revolutionary” to the “Supreme Leader” in his lifetime. That was
four years after what was called the “Ethiopian revolution” that deposed
similar despotic monarchy and turned to the most brutal military dictatorship.
dictatorship and democracy should be considered in categorical terms but as the
end poles of a continuum. He prophetically described the springboard model of dictatorship
that distinguish explaining the psychology of dictatorship as traditional
methods of the psychology of dictator’s focuses on what is inside individuals,
from traits in personality psychology to bits of the brain in contemporary
neuroscience, and neglects the socially constructed world “out there.”
Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Khomeini, Mengistu, Meles or Abiy, there has been an
accomplished and regulated and institutionalized system that nurtured them all
in their particular, corresponding society.
War,” a number of revolutions that would have seemed to signal transitions from
dictatorship to democracy have had also disappointing outcomes in most parts of
the world. Dr. Moghaddam stated there are rises of transformational dictatorships, camouflaged
with “Democracy” the regime is intending to continue in power through forcing
change in the psychological characteristic of their citizens.
their mind, with ideal citizens who would fit in with and uphold the intended
social order, and they aim to change people to rigidly conform to ideal mold.
Such a regime uses overbearing military force and an enormous security system
to implement major political and cultural programs to try to transfer
individuals into what they consider to be an ideal human type. Ideology does
have a role dictatorships.
line between the end poles, that is pure dictatorship at one end and the pure
democracy on the other. He stated that most societies fall somewhere in-between
these two poles with some societies falling closer to pure dictatorship end,
and other societies closer to pure democracy. But even extreme cases that fall
closer to one or the other must be seen as changeable because dictatorships
can, under certain conditions move toward the democracy end, and democracies
can shift back toward the dictatorship end.
described by Dr. Moghaddam concerned with, how dictatorship continue to survive
and how democracies sometimes move backward to dictatorship within particular
society and prophetically called the paradoxes of revolutions known in the
world that deposed dictators and turned again back to dictators, whereby the
major actors of who called themselves the leaders of revolutionists, the
leaders of freedom fighters, the leaders of Liberations nonetheless gradually
become a transformational dictators
and finally a pure dictators in most cause to the worst, brutal, ruthless
dictators as the previous one
nitty-gritty of a particular society and their respective leaders who come to
power as “revolutionists, liberators” who took the charge of the revolution of
the mass to transform their society into what was called democracies minimum
charges. The task has been given at least to facilitate minimal conditions to the society they serve. That is the fundamental right of freedom of speech, freedom of writing and
publishing contrary opinions. Freedom of critics in broadcasts in local radios
publishing local newspapers or other communication vehicles without fear of
arrest, imprisonment, physical and psychological harm.
facilitate the conditions in which truly alternative candidates compete and
citizens vote free their most powerful leader or candidate they trust. The task
was given to facilitate, fair and regular election at an international standard
of fairness and regulations mentored by international, third-party observers.
to facilitate the implementation of the sacred Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (UDHR) proclaimed in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly for all
peoples and all nations by the UN that most signed. There must be a term limit,
independent Judiciary protection, respect of rule of law and people must be
free to cast their vote.
determined/determines their ideals with their inner circles, who can or must be
these ideal citizens in their own cocoon respectively. If one digs deep into
the nitty-gritty of the ideals of the dictators, one finds out a packed of
bunches of lies filled with pseudo-patriotism, hypocrisy, uniqueness, illusion,
narcissism, importance and as the only solution to achieve their goals. That
was the case Hitler NAZI-Germany, Stalin of the USSR, Khomeini of Iran,
Mengistu, Meles, and Abiy of the Abyssinia settler-colonial (Neftegna-Safary) empire system that
nurtured series of dictators since her establishment to the contemporary.
it priming self as an agent and as
the model of references of the ideals that the citizens as a whole must obey
and submit to the manual dictators put on their leaflets. Hitler’s “My struggle” Mao’s “Red Book” or Mummar Gaddafi’s “ Green Book” that turend
to the “Bible” of the downtrodden mass of the citizens respectively. The
current dictator who took the footsteps of what was called the “developmental
democracy” mold to “Medmer” wrote a manifesto or manual to be practiced and
follow by downtrodden mass incarcerated with the most backward barbaric empire
since the establishment of the settler-colonial Abyssinian (Neftanga-Safary) system.
dictatorship can come about only when it is available a potential dictator, a
person motivated and able to monopolize power and rule against the consent of
most people and there is no society immune to dictatorship. Soviet dictatorship
required a Stalin; Nazi Germany required a Hitler, Iran required a Khomeini. At
the same time, Stalin could become dictator only in the Soviet System and
Hitler could become dictator only in Nazi Germany. Iran required Khomeini and
could become dictator only in Iran and the Iranian system. Series of Abyssinia
tyrants at least from Menelik to Abiy required a settler-colonial Abyssinian (Neftanga-Safary) system and could only be become a dictator in the Abyssinia Empire.
Dictator
“quasi-Ethiopia Empire” more precisely Abyssinian Empire, an empire anchored on
the foundation of the settler-colonial (Neftanga-Safary) feudal system ruled by despotic Monarchy, by the name of Haile Selassie
was deposed by what was called the “Ethiopian
revolution,” the revolt of the downtrodden mass of the colonized population
incarcerated with this primitive and predatory empire. Nevertheless, the
revolution of the mass was hijacked by a collection of a military group called
Derg (ደርግ), abbreviated from, Provisional
Military Administrative Council (ግዘያው ወታደራው መንግሥት) led by Colonel Mengistu Haile Marym who
consolidated the power on his own hand. The Derg began by shooting Haile
Selassie and dozens of his vassal feuds, landlords dead, etc., the first step
is taken as a prelude to dictatorship has already begun.
pathological liar turned from a temporary caretaker to permanent and the most
brutal, ruthless dictator with sub-human instinct. He was known as the father
of Red-terror and horror who turned the empire to a prison house, relentless
wars, refugees, flight, and chronic famine as it has never seen in the region for
seventeen solid years in Africa, if not in the world at this junction of
history. That was the main accomplishment and the tasks of the military junta’s
life in one sentence. As in the 1990s, the Soviet block was in collapse and
Mikhail Gorbachev ca no more provide any aids, or deliver Firearms. The branded
Stalinist Meles Zenawi replaced him.
replaced Mengistu, by the name, Meles Zenawi in summer 1991, sat tall and clung
to power. Both monsters have more sameness as their differences. They come out
from the same ideological pool, cut from the same cloth. They were the admirers
of Stalin of the USSR and implanted his styles of political power bewildering
and consolidation and maintains in face value on the ground. They also fought
with the same gun against each other for decades in Tigray desert, the home of
Meles, TPLF in Tigray for about two decades.
was digested and has no more significance in global political influences,
cannot provide ammunition or political shield at this junction of history. The
branded Stalinist, Meles Zenawi, the classical enemy Imperialism and Capitalism
even they named their political part The
Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray (MLLT), wrote their manifestos for no
explanation is indeed required as their name is self-explanatory.
Finfinnee in 1974 and went into the Dedebit in Tigray desert set an agenda to liberation
Tigray, fought against Mengistu for seventeen solid years in Tigray desert and
come back to Finfinnee in 1991. The agenda of Liberation of Tigray the MLLT fought
for decades worth nothing now. What worthies are to turn from liberator of the
poorest province called Tigray that was well known with chronic famine, wars
and flight are to turn to pure dictator not in, Adwa Meqele or, Aksum but the
heart of Oromia, Finfinnee over thousands of km far south and establish a one-man
rule.
brutal cold-blooded dictator, and a commander in chief of the killing hordes
with sub-human instinct called Agazis; the Demociders for
twenty-one solid rule of terror and horror until his last air in August 2012. indiscriminate
killing, mass-incarnation, torture, robbery, sub-human acts on daily based
turned their major duties and accomplishments
Those who appeared like zombies,
emaciated, thin limbs like Flamingos, inanition as their feet held Finfinnee,
turned to Potbelly pig, enriched themselves, by establishing clan-gang
controlled economy and turned from zero to Billionaires. One among their leader
Meles went to his graveyard by stealing $3Billon (The richest.org) form one of the
poorest empires as she has been was globally known.
branded admirer and a chauvinist Stalinist attest nevertheless, the USA and her
allies welcomed him and opened their doors, an asset to Firearm, financial
credits, etc. The paradox of the matter has been the westerns led by the USA,
as it has always been thorough out history when the issues are about Africa and
Africans specifically “Abyssinia,” they blindfold their eyes, deafened their
ears, so far their interest, security, and profits rings. Even more absurd was
they glorified Meles as “great leader, modal for Africa, intellect, etc., a
bunch of pathological lies, etc., without a shame.
up the Tyrant for decades began and shifted to curse “the apologizers” before
they were taken to their graveyard once the fact on the ground proved
diametrically the opposite. And the tyrants showed their real face on the
ground.
the military junta an obligate dependent of the Soviets; Meles turned his face
to the so-called west and plagiarized the manual designed and prescribed in
WDC, called “Structural Adjustment
programs” (SAP). He becomes the patent holder of the so-called “developmental democracy.” or the so-called
“Abyotawi democracy” in settler’s
creole language called Amharic. Abyotawi means Revolution. Indeed there were
neither revolution nor democracy or development but pure tyranny and a rule of
gangster on the soil. And that was their major duties and accomplishment whit
overwhelming facts and figures.
but the ruling dictatorship and one man and clans elite rule. Dr. Moghaddam
called then “Democratic Dictators”
those camouflaged with “Democracy” where what was called “elections”, becomes
routine with the facades of democratic procedure that has been seen a least for
the last three decades to discern from absolute
e dictators where there have no a vocabulary of elections late alone to
practice like Saud Arabia.
of democracy to justify dictatorship and to continue the same old system in the
mold of democratic dictatorship. They all use the language and the rituals of
democracy including elections to both divert attention away from and to justify
absolute rule by a dictator.
elections are fraud intending to legitimize the continuations of the
dictatorship. We have seen “elections” if one is brave to call it elections held,
such in Afghanistan, Myanmar, DRC, Sudan, Egypt, Abyssinia Empire, etc. We have
destined to witness that each five years general “election” has been held in Abyssinia
Empire “Ethiopia” since 1995, and we have destined when one of the most
brutal–dictators that stunk like rotten egg for instance last election of 2015.The
gangster rule announcement of the 100 % win of the general election to the
global media from the pathological liars with sub-human instinct and with
absolute shamelessness.
Meles was, his manifesto that planned and singularly that targeted the Oromo people
as prime, to be reduce them to half from their demographical, territorial
domination and richness, through elimination and grabbing their lands and earmarked Oromia
to sale and lease with a price of less than a price of a sandwich for
unscrupulous global land grabbers and even free for his clan members and nearer
loyal personals as it has never seen in the Empire in its arts, intensity, and
cruelty.
outlines line by line in 34 points, tactics, strategies, tools to be deployed
to achieve its goal of eliminate of the Oromo’s from their ancestral soil, to
turn them to beggars, homeless,(a taboo in Oromo culture), but a deep-rooted
and well known Abyssinia culture through ought her history in record.
outlines line by line in 34 points, tactics, strategies, tools to be deployed that targeted the Oromo people from every walk of life was published by Seife Nebela newspaper in November 1996 that was kept as a top-secret document but leaked from within to achieve its goal of eliminate of the Oromo’s from their ancestral soil, to
turn them to beggars, homeless,(a taboo in Oromo culture), but a deep-rooted
and well known Abyssinia culture through ought her history in record, analogical to the National Socialist German Party
(NAZI) led by Adolf Hitler’s 25 points of the manifesto entitled “The final solution or the final solution of
the Jews question.” https://oromiadigest.com/analogy-of-nazi-germany-and-tplf-eprdf-part-i/.
premise of “terra nullius;” toward
the whole south right from Finfinnee, Oromia to Benishngul-Gumuz, the far
western border of the empire to Omo Valley to the south, to the Somalia in the
East by evicting the indigenous people
from their ancestral soil by deploying an employing all violent and nonviolent
tools sold and leased with a price of less than a price of a sandwich for
unscrupulous global land grabbers and belittling virtual free tor his clan’s,
members and to the cohesive ruling elites surrounded him.
genuine people’s liberation fronts with whom they fought the military junta,
deposed him and drafted and ratified what was called transitional government in
1991 as Terrorist by copying the USA’s counter-terrorism law in acted post-September
11, 2001 tragedy. He turned the most
brutal cold-blooded dictator, one-man–rule and commander of the killing hordes
called Agazi, the genociders for twenty-one solid rule of terror and horror
until his last breath in August 2012.
another dictator Halie Mariam, Desalegn (the underdog of Meles) who took oath
to follow his master’s foot steeps ruled for 6 years, until February 2018 and
again replaced by Abiy Ahmed, at the time the empire was founded on here last
hours of survival by the formidable mass revolts of the core, and the Giant
force of THE OROMO PEOPLE as it has never seen in the history of the empire
since her invention.
arms-crossed, free of violence against, Tanks; Military jets, soldiers armed to
their teeth, guns pointed to their head as the world had destined to witness
live through media channels……….
Dictator camouflaged with “MDEMER”
