The Evolution of Tyranny
Posted: Monday, April 25, 2011
by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian
I have just finished reading Dr. Gustav Bychowski’s excellent book, Dictators and Disciples (International Press, NY 1948). As a student of history, I found the following information from Bychowski’s book most interesting and enlightening for contemporary America.. The author surveys the careers of a number of tyrants noting the means and methods by which they were able to gain power over their people. I have edited the tenses and persons for uniformity.
Tyrants tend to emerge in "a period of misery and social upheaval..." (p. 12).
The aspiring tyrant "elevate(s) himself" (p. 165). "...he in the same breath... pass(es) himself off as (the nation’s) savior, almost Christ himself..." (p. 165). "Thus (is) created a peculiar mythology which culminate(s) in a new religion. The leader or god function(s) simultaneously as a prophet and an apostle ... possessed all the divine attributes...he (knows) when to strike, he (knows) the future and destiny of the....nation" (p. 185-186).
"For the small people...he (becomes) something of an all-powerful father, a demigod, who (can) do everything for everyone..." (p.183). "They (believe) in him, as in their ideal, as in one who (comes) from their midst, (has become) powerful, and (can) give them strength and wealth" (p. 183). The will of the people "inclines toward leaning on an individual who appears to relieve it from all responsibility and concern over he future and ascribes to him attributes of almost divine omnipotence. This individual is trusted and worshiped by the group just as a parent..." (p. 243).
"...the future imperator (poses) as a champion of the people, who (can) not help seeing in him a protector and a friend, in other words, a kind-hearted parent" (p. 21). He "...(appears) in the imagination of the masses as a savior" (p. 185). "Endowed with all these attributes, he (can) convince his followers that he (will) absolutely keep his promises relating to the people’s vital and burning needs" (p. 184).
"To influence public opinion in his favor, (the tyrant) publishe(s) his memoirs and at the same time intensifie(s) the process of corrupting, which he (has) been carrying on for several years past with immense funds..." (p. 22). He "practice(s) corruption on an enormous scale" (p. 22).
Tyrants always fly the flag of liberty."No one ever sought power for himself and the enslavement of others without invoking libertas and such fair names" (p.21).
Tyrants "value the power of the spoken word..." (p. 160). They "(become) ... masters of propaganda, tireless in inventing shouts and spreading slogans and in organizing meetings and demonstrations" (p. 159). They are "not afraid of being platitudinous" (p. 159). "the slogans of (their) propaganda (are made) as simple as possible." (160). "The success of this method (is) based upon two factors. First, the technique of suggestion, repetition and over simplification prove(s) effective when applied to the minds of small people..." (160-161).
"In a dictatorship, one powerful leader imposes his will on society" (p. 11). The dictatorship derives from the "power and prerogatives arbitrarily assumed by the person of the dictator" (p. 11). "All power and authority (are) centered in (the tyrant’s) person which he (has) surrounded with an aura of omnipotence" (p. 24). The tyrant "frequently state(s) that he (is) not a dictator, since everything he (does is) done with the consent of the Party..." (p. 181).
The aspiring tyrant "(distorts) of his own past (in order) to elevate his person to throw some degree of glory on the dark chapters of his life and to obliterate details which did not conform to the desired pattern" (p. 142). "This naturally does not preclude the use of a conscious and purposeful lie...after the fashion of every true demagogue and political imposter, (he) avails himself (of it) readily and without any scruples whatsoever" (p. 199). "...he look(s) upon the human masses as so much inert clay in his hands. Such an attitude seems to be extremely characteristic of a born dictator" (p.180).
He "(is) able to arrange gatherings and particularly Party conferences with the most elaborate stage effects so as to produce the proper atmosphere, a mystical thrill, true ecstasy, and complete fascination" (p. 206). "The impression of irresistible force (is) made on the audience not only by the torrents of eloquence, but also by the entire mise-en-scene (stage setting) arranged for the appearance of the Dictator" (p. 205).
"The yells of joy from his well-drilled followers welcome him, everything is so arranged as to impress the new comers and those half-won over, to awaken in the masses that thrill which is perforce always awakened in weak souls by superiority of power" (p. 205). "Like a hypnotist, he infuses the masses with his own desires, ideals...Like a hypnotist he imposes on them his way of thinking, making them blind, impermeable, and deaf to reality" (p. 244). "Since every means of education and every channel of expression is dominated by the regime, the process of molding public opinion in accordance with the Party’s own interests presents no difficulties" for the tyrant (p. 236).
"The crowning point of the encomiums heaped upon the dictator (is) idolatry, which among other things (makes) him the creator of true liberty" (p. 24). His "subordinates (obey) and (worship) him, and he need(s) that worship; the object of love of all these men (is) necessary for his very existence" (p. 181). "He (has) constantly to convince himself anew of his power and of the intensity of the worship accorded him. He (does) this by means of speeches which kindled in his audiences a thrill of ecstasy and delight..."(p. 182). They "(understand) too late that they (have) been serving a tyrant, who under the pretext of safeguarding liberty, (has) concentrated complete power in his hands" (p. 26).
Eventually the people discover there is nothing left of liberty but the empty word. Liberty is more difficult to recover when it has been lost than it is to preserve it before th tyrant can establish himself. He that is wise will learn from Dr. Bychowski’s valuable research.
George Washington opined that "tyranny...is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness."
This Article has been viewed 169 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.