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I wonder if this is a technique used by certain leaders of authoritarian regimes to take out people in power they they deem threats. Everyone in the party routi
by joebates 8mo ago
I wonder if this is a technique used by certain leaders of authoritarian regimes to take out people in power they they deem threats. Everyone in the party routinely breaks laws, knowingly or otherwise. The person in charge can decide they don't like someone and start an investigation, knowing they'll eventually find something illegal. Then they can delegitimize and remove them under the guise of "corruption".
- acdha 8mo agoVery much so: “everyone does it” means that the leader can destroy anyone who doesn’t toe the line while seeming to be following a reasonable law.
- generic92034 8mo agoAnd only a few steps further and the leader rarely needs to employ the service of obedient judges, but opponents "just" fall out of windows.
- CamperBob2 8mo agoExactly. See also underposted speed limits, for example. It's not about being able to stop everybody, it's about being able to stop anybody.
- antod 8mo agoAbsolutely. It's often more calculated than that though. The only way (by design) to succeed in the regime is through corruption - you're giving the leader the rope to hang you with if you ever fall out of favor.