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Ah yes, but I think all other dictators be it China, Singapore, Iran or North Korea have learned from the Romanian/Yougoslavian/East German, etc. experience. A

Ah yes, but I think all other dictators be it China, Singapore, Iran or North Korea have learned from the Romanian/Yougoslavian/East German, etc. experience. A successful mob revolution requires a huge mob that can spill over government opposition. Such a huge mob can be prevented in 2 main ways - $ and Fear: 1. The Chinese and Singaporean approach: The fascist state with a booming economy. Fear of punishment and desire to make money keeps the mob small. 2. The North Korean approach: Have such a huge military that the rest of the country can not overrun it ever. The downside is no state can support that kind of military and you get starvation. Iran etc. are a mix of 1 & 2 with less prosperity then Singapore but more sate violence and spying then China. I have absolutely no faith that a violent revolution can happen anywhere in today's Europe. We're too old and too rich.

bad_user 16y ago
I live in Romania, and although I was only 8 years old in '89, I remember pretty vividly what happened. Such a huge mob can be prevented in 2 main ways - $ and Fear Fear, Doubt and Censorship is what defined the Stalinist regime before Dec '89 in Romania. The North Korean approach: Have such a huge military that the rest of the country can not overrun it ever. The military is formed out of ordinary people that can switch sides at any time. Also wars are won in the hearts first: you can make the military switch sides if you give the impression that this isn't a war they can win. In Romania I still think it was a coup d'état, as the army switched sides quite early; but the mob was there, it was furious ... and it emerged out of nowhere. And it was interesting because romanians really aren't violent people. Governments should learn to not piss off citizens: people can take a lot of pain before acting, but there's always a tipping point and from there onward it turns into a civil war between millions of people and a couple of thousand with guns (but that's a short-lived tactical advantage).

bad_user 16y ago

I live in Romania, and although I was only 8 years old in '89, I remember pretty vividly what happened. Such a huge mob can be prevented in 2 main ways - $ and Fear Fear, Doubt and Censorship is what defined the Stalinist regime before Dec '89 in Romania. The North Korean approach: Have such a huge military that the rest of the country can not overrun it ever. The military is formed out of ordinary people that can switch sides at any time. Also wars are won in the hearts first: you can make the military switch sides if you give the impression that this isn't a war they can win. In Romania I still think it was a coup d'état, as the army switched sides quite early; but the mob was there, it was furious ... and it emerged out of nowhere. And it was interesting because romanians really aren't violent people. Governments should learn to not piss off citizens: people can take a lot of pain before acting, but there's always a tipping point and from there onward it turns into a civil war between millions of people and a couple of thousand with guns (but that's a short-lived tactical advantage).