Dictators

Some folks have been surprised that the Ukrainian army has, thus far, successfully not only invaded Russia but has managed to hold onto a chunk of territory since August 6th. The lack of coordinated response by the Russian military doesn’t, however, come as a big surprise to political scientists. Putin is a dictator, the leader of an authoritarian system. Leaders who create such a system usually don’t do very well when faced with change. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022 and failed to quickly topple the Ukrainian government, the military floundered. The lack of leadership resulted in incompetence and chaos.

In such a system everybody waits for the dictator to tell them what to do but, typically, such leaders are adept at taking credit when things go well but blame others when things go badly. Authoritarian leaders surround themselves with “yes men”, those who will not object or even debate the leader’s decisions. Self-preservation is the rule, not thoughtful discussion and certainly not original thinking. Dictators wield power through control, fear, and suppression. The government is structured to preserve the leader, not to seek innovative ways of dealing with problems. A cult of the personality, by definition, never looks at other possibilities than doing what the “dear leader” wants.

In times of trouble, dictators almost always double down on suppression and intimidation. The brightest minds don’t flourish in such an environment and avoid serving in such a system.

Additionally, authoritarian leaders’ fixation on maintaining control blinds them to societal changes. They want things to remain as they are because that’s when they feel secure. Change intimidates dictators.

Putin might stay in power as long as he lives but, as time goes by, he will inevitably become more and more out of touch with the people who evolve in ways he cannot understand.

The Ukrainian incursion into Russia has some similarities to the Allies invasion at Normandy. When the Allied armies landed in an unexpected location, the German military waited, in vain, for Hitler to tell them what to do. Hitler could only rant and rave instead of adjusting. He could not admit he’d made a mistake and anyone who sought to take alternative action knew they might well pay with their lives.

Even those who are aware of mistakes being made by the leader often do nothing to change the direction because they feel helpless. It is in the interest of the ruler to instill a feeling of helplessness in the people over whom he rules. If the people begin to feel they have the power to change leadership the dictator is in trouble. Hopefully the Russian people will realize sooner rather than later that they really do have the power to do better that continuing to live under an autocracy.

It’s just one more reason for us to take care to preserve democracy. Yes, it’s a messy way to do government but it’s far better than any alternative. Maximum participation in the political system produces better results.