Why the world is drawn to neo-authoritarian leaders

Centuries ago, Jewish mythology warned of aprimordial sea serpent leviathan such a monstrous embodiment of evil that it challenged the very presence of God. According to the scriptures, a force no less powerful than God would be needed to destroy this horrible creature and restore the natural balance of the world.

Over time, the symbolic meaning of the Leviathan transformed in oddly contradictory ways. It has come to represent God’s power of creation, a dark force, an avatar of chaos and anarchy, a beast of Satan, willful ignorance, shameless abuse of power, and even outright authoritarianism. simple.

In the 17th century, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes put forward the idea that the world Needs a Leviathan to preserve the peace. For Hobbes, the Leviathan served as a metaphor for the Ideal state, a Commonwealth in which the masses chaotic, selfish and sinful by nature could be united under one sovereign power, exercising almost unlimited authority.

Fast forward to today, and it’s clear that Leviathan-like rulers remain and are on the rise. While the United States has been freed from the grip of Donald Trump (for now), many countries are still ruled by Leviathans. The non-exhaustive list includes Russians Vladimir Putin, Chinese Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Viktor Orban of Hungary, India Narendra Modi, Jair Bolsonaro from Brazil, Burmese Min Aung Hlaing Free Mp3 Download and Venezuelan Nicolas Maduro.

Of course, these leaders rise in the void. It is the people who enable them, support their growth and even encourage them. But why are humans drawn to these rulers who carry the dark force of the Leviathans?

The pathological appeal of neo-authoritarianism

When people are afraid of the future socially, economically and ecologically they regress into a position of dependence looking for someone to guide them. So, unsurprisingly, they are drawn to “miracle workers who offer quick fixes. These leadership governance approaches are dangerously Leviathan in nature.

Unlike dictators like Hitler, Stalin or Mao, contemporary Leviathans use methods that are not explicitly draconian. Rather than resorting to exposition, excessive violence, they rely on deception and seduction to secure the obedience of their subjects. In this regard, they can be called neo-authoritarians.

While some neo-authoritarians present themselves as defenders of democracy, in reality they exploit the system to police all areas of the lives of their subjects and maintain their power base. In doing so, they create a shadow democracy. OWhat makes their behavior so sinister is their ability to set their agenda as a product of freedom of choice. For example, elections appear to be a legitimate expression of the will of the people, but the results are manipulated or even predetermined by convoluted political frameworks.

Another salient feature of their modus operandi is their twisted use of the law. Neo-authoritarians apply the law selectively when they have to fight opponents, and circumvent or violate it when they need protection from any threat to their power. One of their most deceptive and dangerous talents is this ability to centralize power with pseudo-democratic processes.

The psychological stratagems of neo-authoritarians

There is no doubt that neo-authoritarian leaders are charismatic, but beneath their veneer hides a calculating personality with a mix of narcissistic and psychopathic traits. Devoid of empathy and morality, consumed by a thirst for personal power, Machiavellian in nature and prone to vindictiveness, these leaders have the capacity to inflict profound human suffering without feeling anything.

In their efforts to gain power, these leaders deploy certain psychological tactics:

1. They present themselves as defenders of ordinary people, often portrayed as victims.
2. They skillfully use the media to manipulate their followers and make a point of organizing large-scale public events where they position themselves as the unifying celebrity.
3. They are past masters in the art of inventing ideologies, religious or otherwise, to cement their power and justify their policies.
4. They create an illusion of choice in elections as a means of maintaining their power base. They do not tolerate dissent and do not hesitate to disqualify or even imprison their opponents.
5. To ensure their grip on power, they become dependent on friends, family members, the army and the police.
6. They are very good at seducing members of the emerging middle class using financial incentives and status-based symbols.
7. Faced with a restless population, the neo-authoritarians point the finger at external threats to justify their existence. Of course, going to war will be the ultimate distraction.

The question we are asked

Human beings will always struggle with the need to be directed and the desire to be free. And while most people claim opposition to any type of demagogue-type leader, they can easily fall victim to the pathological desire to be directed and controlled.

In the United States, there are early rumors about the 2024 presidential election and the possible return of a Trump candidacy. If such a scenario were to materialize, the American electorate would once again be faced with the lure of Leviathan. an embodiment of evil capable of destroying the very balance of a world where people have the freedom to speak their minds. If such a candidate were to emerge in the United States or elsewhere, would we proceed informed of the dangers, or would we be deceived by the pathological appeal of Leviathan? This is the question before us.