Dictatators and Kings can't comprehend that their people don't love them.

[nirakar]

It seems that Dictatators and Kings can't comprehend that their people don't love them.

They seem to believe their own propaganda.

Mubarak thought he was the indispensable preserver of stability and thought that his people loved him for this. It seems that nobody told him how unhappy his people were with his government.

In Libya Gaddafi thinks he is the embodyment very spirit of freedom and global revolution against oppression. He can't believe that aspirations for freedom could see him as anything other than the champion of freedom. How badly he has deluded himself.

Of course we see that all people and all posters on Sciforums routinely delude themselves into believing what they want to believe. This is human nature. But when you get enough power to become surrounded by skillful subtle sycophants your ability to see through your own fantasy's gets severely diminished.


(just watching Gaddafi on CSPAN now. I think he is authentically emotional. I think he is shocked and can't mentally accept what is happening.)

[GeoffP]

...well, I'm sure you can't mean to include East Korea in this. My people love me. All my ministers tell me so.

[nirakar]

East Korea is probably the most extreme example. Your ministers convinced you that East Korea exists.

Now in my kingdom of sanctimoniousnessland in the ether world I know my people love me because I created them all and will uncreate them if they even dare to frown.

[spidergoat]

Narcissistic personality disorder might be to blame.

[Dywyddyr]

Your ministers convinced you that East Korea exists.

We absolutely exist.

My people love me.

That's right. The last survey taken showed that 151.55% of those asked (and surviving) declared GeoffP as the leader of the land they love was better than all the alternatives*.

* From a selected list of no less than 57 different options.

[GeoffP]

I'm getting mixed messages from the peanut gallery. I can't see this helping your end-of-year reports, or immediate survival.

[Dywyddyr]

The new policy is to allow* dissenting voices so that the world can see how liberal and non-repressive we (contrary to CIA propaganda).

* For a week.

[Hercules Rockefeller]

It seems that .... Kings can't comprehend that their people don't love them.

I don't think that's accurate. Here are the world’s existing monarchies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy

I would suggest that in the majority of these countries/states the monarchy has at a minimum neutral support from the populace and the peoples’ tacit support. At best the monarchy is revered in some of those countries.

[GeoffP]

Speaking seriously, competent monarchies and elements of the heritable aristocracy have - classically, in Western society - generally had a good impression of their popularity, or usually good. Exceptions exist, but typically did not persist (i.e. Edward II of England).

[Me-Ki-Gal]

It seems that Dictatators and Kings can't comprehend that their people don't love them.

The seem to believe their own propaganda.

Mubarak thought he was the indispensable preserver of stability and thought that his people loved him for this. It seems that nobody told him how unhappy his people were with his government.

In Libya Gaddafi thinks he is the embodyment very spirit of freedom and global revolution against oppression. He can't believe that aspirations for freedom could see him as anything other than the champion of freedom. How badly he has deluded himself.

Of course we see that all people and all posters on Sciforums routinely delude themselves into believing what they want to believe. This is human nature. But when you get enough power to become surrounded by skillful subtle sycophants your ability to see through your own fantasy's gets severely diminished.


(just watching Gaddafi on CSPAN now. I think he is authentically emotional. I think he is shocked and can't mentally accept what is happening.)

You got that right. Have a gold star on me. Denial is hard to deal with. People kill them selves over realizing the truth. Al Capone believed he was a saint. He went crazy you know. From having Syphilis. Yeah man watch out for that . Don't want , hope not to get it ,would be The Sh----------ts if you do ?
It is hard to be a good leader. The ancient Germans now they didn't have a leader per say , only when they went to war and what have you they where notorious for killing him after the war. I think they felt he got to power hungry and they didn't want any of that kind of slacker.

[John99]

It seems that Dictatators and Kings can't comprehend that their people don't love them.

The seem to believe their own propaganda.

Mubarak thought he was the indispensable preserver of stability and thought that his people loved him for this. It seems that nobody told him how unhappy his people were with his government.

In Libya Gaddafi thinks he is the embodyment very spirit of freedom and global revolution against oppression. He can't believe that aspirations for freedom could see him as anything other than the champion of freedom. How badly he has deluded himself.

Of course we see that all people and all posters on Sciforums routinely delude themselves into believing what they want to believe. This is human nature. But when you get enough power to become surrounded by skillful subtle sycophants your ability to see through your own fantasy's gets severely diminished.


(just watching Gaddafi on CSPAN now. I think he is authentically emotional. I think he is shocked and can't mentally accept what is happening.)

Just think of all the "leaders" there have been who are A: not particularly intelligent and B: Insane.