The swift horses of autocracy

 

Strong leaders get themselves elected, and reelected: through media manipulation and misuse of autonomous institutions in democracies; through purging rivals in the name of corruption and changing party clauses in autocracies.

It is clearly visible that autocracy is a big inspiration for strong leaders in the democratic world to try to become all-powerful potentates because the concept of ‘power’ itself is built on the foundation of ‘becoming all powerful’. So the ultimate dream of a strong leader in a democracy is to become an unquestionable leader. It’s a natural progression: beginning with a leader to become ruler to turn an all powerful potentate.

Earlier there would be some odd strong leader in the democratic world and some odd extra powerful leader in autocracies. Following international norms of diplomatic language and behavior was the norm. A leader was expected to speak, act, behave and present himself in an image built on globally accepted norms of diplomatic protocols. And any adventure on part of some strong leader would be instantly viewed as misadventure, unbecoming and uncouth.  

However, in the present decade that critical line has been breached. In a world full of strong leaders trying to be extra-strong—using fears and phobias nationally and internationally—any type of verbal misadventure is now a simple reality; it doesn’t automatically get cast in the mould of diplomatic breach like earlier. No verbal adventure is misadventure now. Adventurism is now the new norm.

Putin started it on a big scale after honing his adventurism domestically for decades, clinging to power, crossing all limits to decimate opponents and become a new-age Czar. Then he carried it beyond the Russian borders by flouting all international norms such as sovereignty of a country by attacking Ukraine. It primed the world for offbeat behavior by powerful leaders.

Many world leaders now speak publicly like common people yelling on public squares. It’s quite normal now to see big leaders squabbling like irked neighbors. That typical image of a responsible, restrained, diplomatic leader lies in dustbin. The UN is operationally redundant. We have retraced our steps to the era of WW II. It doesn’t feel like we are led by guiding leaders; it feels like we are pushed by strong leaders.

Many strong leaders, who haven’t so far taken their behavior beyond national borders, are testing it domestically. They are flouting all norms followed so far. They are setting up a new normal of systematically curtailing free speech; robbing the autonomous institutions of their objective, neutral character; setting up capitalist oligarchies to boost their political agenda. All in all, it seems a scary world.