Category: demagogues

African Dictators, when they are hurting, believe they are healing, when they are destroying they believe they are building. The road to dictatorships starts with nationalistic slogans and the creation of common enemy to rally against, real or hoax. Rivals are branded as traitors and agents of the enemy of the state or the revolution. Opponents are constantly harassed and intimidated. Legislative and judiciary branches of the state, if they exist at all, are rendered powerless or rubber stamps. […] The enemy number one is the independent media, opposition parties’ leaders/individuals and those who tell the truth. […] In the final stage of achieving absolute Dictatorship a new cadre of leaders are handpicked not because of their ability and skills but because of their loyalty to the dictator and they start showering the dictator with praise, and they order the masses to hang his pictures everywhere. New songs are composed in praise of the leader. Those who surround around him compete for his attention like children and they always tell him what they think he likes to hear but not the reality in the country. They start spying among each other to win the confidence of the leader. […] He is declared the all knowing, the wisest, and the father of the nation. Now he does not let others make any decisions because he feels he is the most qualified, experienced and the wisest. He does not recognize the knowledge of others and ignores their contribution. […]