I have often wondered how it is possible for one person, or a few people, to give orders to an entire nation, which then obeys those edicts, even to its own detriment. Were I to try such a thing, I would be ignored, or worse, thrown out on my ear – or even worse than that.  So what do dictators have that I do not? I would like to think they are ruthless sociopaths who murder and terrorize their way to power.  But while that is certainly a factor, there are plenty of people who murder and terrorize yet never gain a following. Perhaps the most accurate model of a powerful dictator is one who draws on both Plato's Republic and Machiavelli's The Prince.  Both of these involve the establishment and maintenance of a political infrastructure, one that empowers the dictator.  In North Korea, the current dictator inherited his position and the murderous bureaucracy that enables him.  In other cases, the tyrant...(Read Full Post)