I think it’s somewhat of an oxymoron. Authoritarianism is an extremely short-sighted ideology. You either die in disgrace or you live a long life that’s just not worth living. With enough resources they could live a hedonistic life of luxury anywhere in the world, but they can’t help themselves. I don’t believe any fascist has ever been happy, because they have no choice but to obsess over the daily power struggle.
They might gleefully crush people under their boots, but they can’t retire. They can’t just go home and relax. Whoever takes over either puts them in prison for their crimes or puts them down for being a threat to the new regime. They have to worry about poison in the food, snipers in the hills, and betrayals by their closest aides and their family and friends.
The bar to pull the levers of government is so low these days that stupid people can effectively be just as destructive as an intelligent person, especially when aided by a coterie of sycophants.
It’s being run by incompetent fascists, which is the most terrifying reality to be living in.
Competent fascists would scare me more.
I think it’s somewhat of an oxymoron. Authoritarianism is an extremely short-sighted ideology. You either die in disgrace or you live a long life that’s just not worth living. With enough resources they could live a hedonistic life of luxury anywhere in the world, but they can’t help themselves. I don’t believe any fascist has ever been happy, because they have no choice but to obsess over the daily power struggle.
They might gleefully crush people under their boots, but they can’t retire. They can’t just go home and relax. Whoever takes over either puts them in prison for their crimes or puts them down for being a threat to the new regime. They have to worry about poison in the food, snipers in the hills, and betrayals by their closest aides and their family and friends.
It’s the Sword of Damocles but worse
The bar to pull the levers of government is so low these days that stupid people can effectively be just as destructive as an intelligent person, especially when aided by a coterie of sycophants.
There is no such thing.
More terrifying even then if they were competent?
the competent people are behind the curtains and they are doing a terrific job, this shitshow is all by design
Yes. They’ll do incredibly foolish things that no competent person would do, simply because it maximizes power tripping cruelty.
o rly