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> even when government officials learn about plots to overthrow an autocrat, they may not share that knowledge. This is known as the “vacuum effect” This parag
by Epskampie 5y ago
> even when government officials learn about plots to overthrow an autocrat, they may not share that knowledge. This is known as the “vacuum effect”
This paragraph seems strange to me. Wouldn’t the one who shines light on a plan to kill the autocrat be highly rewarded? Googling the “vacuum effect” doesn’t yield results that explain this effect further.
Other than that, interesting read, the distortion of information the autocrat receives seems logical.
- anonuser123456 5y ago>Wouldn’t the one who shines light on a plan to kill the autocrat be highly rewarded? Maybe, but I’m sure in Russia at least, people remember the Stalin years. Getting rewarded might mean getting into a position where Stalin might someday perceive you as a threat.
- retrac 5y ago> one who shines light on a plan to kill the autocrat be highly rewarded? Or tortured to death to squeeze out every last tidbit they know about the plot. Loyalty is not always rewarded. It is a common tactic of autocrats to sow a community of pathological paranoia and distrust; I've read accounts of figures ranging from Toussaint to Franco to Stalin all playing a similar game -- you tell the dictator about some corruption or plot, and they tell the person you were informing on. I think it's more fun for them that way. In any case in that sort of environment it's not hard to imagine keeping quiet about a plot to off the boss, even if you kinda like the boss.
- rasz 5y agoThe Death of Stalin (2018) is a comedy with quite accurate take on irrationality and absurd of the times.