Mereja Forum

[Tiago]

Dictators often rise to power out of conflict or a coup d’etat. However, there have been dictators who got into power democratically or legally. Adolf Hitler, for example, was appointed chancellor, or head of government, by President Paul von Hindenburg in 1933. After Hindenburg DIED, Hitler made himself “Fü­hrer” (a combination of president and chancellor).

So how can you tell if our PM is a dictator?

these are some of them .( please add more and hear PP cadres on here cry foul.)


fostering cults of personality, a form of hero worship in which the masses are fed propaganda declaring he is to be flawless and divine.

punishing protesters of bad governance harshly

concentrating power in the hands of few people or just one person.

systematically obliterating Media freedom leaving newspapers, radio and television as tools for indoctrination.

Intimidation, murder, imprisonment, state-sponsored violence and other human rights abuses to control the population.

creating chaos.

weaken institutions of governance, and compromise law enforcement agencies to protect individuals in the ruler’s inner circle.

having a larger number of security personnel, which is disproportionate to the country’s status.

demonising,jailing and killing citizens who check the ruler’s power; people’s complaints are condemned and regarded as sponsored sentiments of regime change.

using secret intelligence services to spy on the citizens and monitor private communication.

military is usually a top focus for dictator abiy and he often prioritises defence spending over social services.

never appoints ambitious subordinates as second in command, preferring figurehead deputies.

accumulating unexplained wealth and invest heavily on his hold to power.



Dictatorships sometimes come to an end just as chaotically as they began. What happened to Adolf Hitler, Fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and many other autocratic rulers is public knowledge.