How to Be a Dictator

Featuring the author Frank Dikötter, Chair Professor of Humanities, University of Hong Kong, and Author, Mao’s Great Famine.

In his forthcoming book How to Be a Dictator, Frank Dikötter examines the cults and propaganda surrounding twentieth-century dictators, from Hitler and Stalin to Mao Zedong and Kim II Sung. These men were the founders of modern dictatorships, and they learned from each other and from history to build their regimes and maintain their public images. Their dictatorships, in turn, have influenced leaders in the 21st century, including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

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[Nesher]

It's uncanny how you can apply most of these elements also to Xi Jinping...

[merlepatterson]

"If there is a Dictator in the audience..."

[mefirst]

I once attended a behavioral finance class, the instructor was talking about compulsive gamblers addicted to trading stocks. He said the field of psychology has identified these so-called "alpha males" or "jerks" to put it crudely and accurately, at any given time, 2% of the population has these personality disorders. Psychologists point out throughout history, these "jerks" rise up and become monsters.

The question about Maduro was very good and I frankly don't think was satisfactorily answered. I can't put him in the same league as others.

Also, I think dictators can may be divided into some categories:
1. African and Middle East dictators who are mere gang leaders
2. Utopian dictators such as Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Ataturk, Castro, Mao, Khomeini, Enver Hoxha, Pinochet, Franco who sincerely were concerned about the eventual well being of their nation
3. Puppet "presidents" who are the face of the brutal state machine such as Maduro, Esed?

[RevsAndWheels]

My country's Secret Service must be keeping an eye on me now maybe...

[ashyboi]

Love this It has taought me so much, thank you>

[jaijind]

What do you call the US dollar's global economic fasism?

[NoreenHoltzen]

The great cause of the famine was Western propaganda. Dikotter frames his analysis from the perspective that ignores the initial conditions of China and what they achieved through their plight (literacy from 10% to 80% under Mao, radical improvements in healthcare, etc). Dikotter’s figures of 40 or 20 million starving are cyclically referenced (pseudoscientific) and primary sources are *selected* to match the desired conclusion (confirmation bias). The figures are trumpeted because of our *real* qualm over Mao - we were unable to maintain or take control of China. The phrase “Loss of China”’ was in our newspapers frequently in the 1950s, which is telling, as it assumes you have to own something before you can lose it. Regarding deaths, look up the increase in life expectancy from 1950 until 1978 - it rose dramatically from Mao’s reforms, so he saved lives almost radically. If you think about it you have to respect for China successfully fending of western imperialism prior to 1948, a profoundly difficult achievement. Look at the result of the other major regions that failed in this regard (Africa, India, even aboriginal Australia, etc). Respect to Mao and vast bulk of the ordinary population for protecting China from outside interference. Mao also did the forgotten but crucial work of rural health development programmes saving 100 million lives and modernizing architecture which set the conditions to make the industrialisation that followed being possible. Life span increased dramatically, rights of females and literacy increased from 10% to 90% under Mao. Rather than cherry picking setbacks give respect where respect is due.

[o]

Oh being an eccepted dictator is a dream

[RobertSeviour]

Frank Dikötter's delivery is paced too slow for my taste. I wish that right at the start he had itemised the topics he was going to cover. Cut down to half the time it might have held my attention.

[abdugabo]

You should add mohamed siyas bare same mengistu