What Do I Mean by “Cultic Dictatorship”? And Where Are We in This Process?
First, we must dissect some terms.
A dictator is “one ruling absolutely and often oppressively.” To be dictatorial is to be “oppressive to or arrogantly overbearing to others.”[1]
To be authoritarian, which is a typical cult leader trait, is to favor “blind submission to an authority.” And that authority figure can be a leader who is “not constitutionally responsible to the people.”
Totalitarian means “of or relating to centralized control by an autocratic leader.” This includes “subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life and the productive capacity of the nation especially by coercive measures (as censorship and terrorism). Another word for this is totalism. To describe someone as totalitarian means that person is an advocate or practitioner of totalitarianism.
An autocrat is “one who has undisputed influence or power; a person ruling with unlimited authority.”
In one sense these words are somewhat interchangeable; yet, each does have a distinct meaning. Nevertheless, they are all related concepts. For a deeper understanding of these concepts, the works of Hannah Arendt, Robert Jay Lifton, Edgar Schein, Erving Goffman, Erich Fromm, George Orwell, Arthur Koestler, Eric Hoffer, Alexandra Stein, and others in the fields of history, social psychology, and political science are relevant.
And to this mix, we must add fascism: “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” In essence, fascism is an extreme form of authoritarian rule linked to rabid nationalism.”[2] Some note that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is the classic fascist leader.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright writes: “the Fascist chiefs we remember best were charismatic. Through one method or another, each established an emotional link to the crowd and, like the central figure in a cut, brought deep and often ugly feelings to the surface. This is how the tentacles of Fascism spread inside a democracy.”[3]
The person at the top of a closed and hierarchical system becomes the One Master. He is above the law, and he sets the law. He may disregard all nay-sayers, and even punish them. He is usually a paranoid bully, but deft at creating his own reality – a reality into which he draws followers through lies, propaganda, and threats. He lacks empathy and rules by fiat, disregarding the potential dire consequences. He believes he is the center of the universe, and brooks no criticism or disagreement.
The type of relationship this leader has with his followers determines whether or not we may describe it as cultic. When the relationship is based on charismatic authoritarianism, then the key is turned in the lock. The system is closed and shut tight. Absolute loyalty is required, demanded of the acolytes. By creating a hostile “outside world,” the leader is able to further lure and sway his followers into deep-seated trust and blind obedience.
Dictators, such as Mussolini or Pol Pot, did not have charismatic authority. They were not loved by the people, and therefore had to resort mostly to violence. But more clever leaders, such as Mao Tse-tung or Kim il-sung, were able to create a mystical persona around themselves and in so doing were able to capture both the hearts and the minds of the people. In China, this was accomplished through a nationwide indoctrination campaign aimed at educating the masses. Mao called this ideological remolding his “thought reform program” – a nationwide coordinated program of psychological, social, and political coercion. Colloquially, the Chinese called it hse nao, translated literally as “wash brain” or “cleansing the mind.” This term was adopted as “brainwashing” during the 1950s Red Scare. Meanwhile, China became a national cult, worshipping Chairman Mao and following all that he commanded.
We in America, of course, are nowhere near this situation now under Trump. Yet, White House officials and staff and much of the Congress are clearly sycophants. They remain silent and/or complicit by helping with damage control over Trump’s many missteps, most especially his dictatorial behavior (sudden firings, secret meetings, overtures to our adversaries, abasement of those who he believes have betrayed him, threats of removal, refusal to meet with Mueller, and so on).
And Trump has a vociferous and loyal base of followers. They still proudly wear their MAGA hats, and continue to see Trump as God-given, as the Messiah figure who will right all the wrongs (real or perceived) they feel they have endured. As a good charismatic leader, Trump plays to his base every chance he gets, and does so on a grand scale, for example, by continuing to hold political rallies and most recently calling for a grand military parade. Trump’s followers respond boldly to his vitriolic statements and have been known to carry out nasty and violent attacks against those deemed “the other” – people of color, liberals, immigrants, the LGBT community, and so on. We’ve seen this with the knifing and murder of immigrants in Michigan, with the countless outbursts of blatant racism around the country, rural and urban, with the boldness of the White nationalists in social media and at protests. Trump remains their infallible leader, no matter what he does or says. In fact, they love it – to them, it shows his strength and determination to do right by them. He’s brazen so they can be brazen.
[1] Definitions in this section are from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.
[2] Madeleine Albright, Fascism: A Warming (New York: Harper Collins, 2018), p. 16.
[3] Albright, Fascism, p. 13.
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What Do I Mean by “Cultic Dictatorship”? And Where Are We in This Process?
First, we must dissect some terms.
A dictator is “one ruling absolutely and often oppressively.” To be dictatorial is to be “oppressive to or arrogantly overbearing to others.”[1]
To be authoritarian, which is a typical cult leader trait, is to favor “blind submission to an authority.” And that authority figure can be a leader who is “not constitutionally responsible to the people.”
Totalitarian means “of or relating to centralized control by an autocratic leader.” This includes “subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life and the productive capacity of the nation especially by coercive measures (as censorship and terrorism). Another word for this is totalism. To describe someone as totalitarian means that person is an advocate or practitioner of totalitarianism.
An autocrat is “one who has undisputed influence or power; a person ruling with unlimited authority.”
In one sense these words are somewhat interchangeable; yet, each does have a distinct meaning. Nevertheless, they are all related concepts. For a deeper understanding of these concepts, the works of Hannah Arendt, Robert Jay Lifton, Edgar Schein, Erving Goffman, Erich Fromm, George Orwell, Arthur Koestler, Eric Hoffer, Alexandra Stein, and others in the fields of history, social psychology, and political science are relevant.
And to this mix, we must add fascism: “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” In essence, fascism is an extreme form of authoritarian rule linked to rabid nationalism.”[2] Some note that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is the classic fascist leader.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright writes: “the Fascist chiefs we remember best were charismatic. Through one method or another, each established an emotional link to the crowd and, like the central figure in a cut, brought deep and often ugly feelings to the surface. This is how the tentacles of Fascism spread inside a democracy.”[3]
The person at the top of a closed and hierarchical system becomes the One Master. He is above the law, and he sets the law. He may disregard all nay-sayers, and even punish them. He is usually a paranoid bully, but deft at creating his own reality – a reality into which he draws followers through lies, propaganda, and threats. He lacks empathy and rules by fiat, disregarding the potential dire consequences. He believes he is the center of the universe, and brooks no criticism or disagreement.
The type of relationship this leader has with his followers determines whether or not we may describe it as cultic. When the relationship is based on charismatic authoritarianism, then the key is turned in the lock. The system is closed and shut tight. Absolute loyalty is required, demanded of the acolytes. By creating a hostile “outside world,” the leader is able to further lure and sway his followers into deep-seated trust and blind obedience.
Dictators, such as Mussolini or Pol Pot, did not have charismatic authority. They were not loved by the people, and therefore had to resort mostly to violence. But more clever leaders, such as Mao Tse-tung or Kim il-sung, were able to create a mystical persona around themselves and in so doing were able to capture both the hearts and the minds of the people. In China, this was accomplished through a nationwide indoctrination campaign aimed at educating the masses. Mao called this ideological remolding his “thought reform program” – a nationwide coordinated program of psychological, social, and political coercion. Colloquially, the Chinese called it hse nao, translated literally as “wash brain” or “cleansing the mind.” This term was adopted as “brainwashing” during the 1950s Red Scare. Meanwhile, China became a national cult, worshipping Chairman Mao and following all that he commanded.
We in America, of course, are nowhere near this situation now under Trump. Yet, White House officials and staff and much of the Congress are clearly sycophants. They remain silent and/or complicit by helping with damage control over Trump’s many missteps, most especially his dictatorial behavior (sudden firings, secret meetings, overtures to our adversaries, abasement of those who he believes have betrayed him, threats of removal, refusal to meet with Mueller, and so on).
And Trump has a vociferous and loyal base of followers. They still proudly wear their MAGA hats, and continue to see Trump as God-given, as the Messiah figure who will right all the wrongs (real or perceived) they feel they have endured. As a good charismatic leader, Trump plays to his base every chance he gets, and does so on a grand scale, for example, by continuing to hold political rallies and most recently calling for a grand military parade. Trump’s followers respond boldly to his vitriolic statements and have been known to carry out nasty and violent attacks against those deemed “the other” – people of color, liberals, immigrants, the LGBT community, and so on. We’ve seen this with the knifing and murder of immigrants in Michigan, with the countless outbursts of blatant racism around the country, rural and urban, with the boldness of the White nationalists in social media and at protests. Trump remains their infallible leader, no matter what he does or says. In fact, they love it – to them, it shows his strength and determination to do right by them. He’s brazen so they can be brazen.
[1] Definitions in this section are from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.
[2] Madeleine Albright, Fascism: A Warming (New York: Harper Collins, 2018), p. 16.
[3] Albright, Fascism, p. 13.
Learn More
If you or someone you know would like access to further teachings, training, and education on cults and coercive relationships, we invite you to subscribe to out monthly newsletter and event calendar.
Subscribe
What Do I Mean by “Cultic Dictatorship”? And Where Are We in This Process?
First, we must dissect some terms.
A dictator is “one ruling absolutely and often oppressively.” To be dictatorial is to be “oppressive to or arrogantly overbearing to others.”[1]
To be authoritarian, which is a typical cult leader trait, is to favor “blind submission to an authority.” And that authority figure can be a leader who is “not constitutionally responsible to the people.”
Totalitarian means “of or relating to centralized control by an autocratic leader.” This includes “subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life and the productive capacity of the nation especially by coercive measures (as censorship and terrorism). Another word for this is totalism. To describe someone as totalitarian means that person is an advocate or practitioner of totalitarianism.
An autocrat is “one who has undisputed influence or power; a person ruling with unlimited authority.”
In one sense these words are somewhat interchangeable; yet, each does have a distinct meaning. Nevertheless, they are all related concepts. For a deeper understanding of these concepts, the works of Hannah Arendt, Robert Jay Lifton, Edgar Schein, Erving Goffman, Erich Fromm, George Orwell, Arthur Koestler, Eric Hoffer, Alexandra Stein, and others in the fields of history, social psychology, and political science are relevant.
And to this mix, we must add fascism: “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” In essence, fascism is an extreme form of authoritarian rule linked to rabid nationalism.”[2] Some note that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is the classic fascist leader.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright writes: “the Fascist chiefs we remember best were charismatic. Through one method or another, each established an emotional link to the crowd and, like the central figure in a cut, brought deep and often ugly feelings to the surface. This is how the tentacles of Fascism spread inside a democracy.”[3]
The person at the top of a closed and hierarchical system becomes the One Master. He is above the law, and he sets the law. He may disregard all nay-sayers, and even punish them. He is usually a paranoid bully, but deft at creating his own reality – a reality into which he draws followers through lies, propaganda, and threats. He lacks empathy and rules by fiat, disregarding the potential dire consequences. He believes he is the center of the universe, and brooks no criticism or disagreement.
The type of relationship this leader has with his followers determines whether or not we may describe it as cultic. When the relationship is based on charismatic authoritarianism, then the key is turned in the lock. The system is closed and shut tight. Absolute loyalty is required, demanded of the acolytes. By creating a hostile “outside world,” the leader is able to further lure and sway his followers into deep-seated trust and blind obedience.
Dictators, such as Mussolini or Pol Pot, did not have charismatic authority. They were not loved by the people, and therefore had to resort mostly to violence. But more clever leaders, such as Mao Tse-tung or Kim il-sung, were able to create a mystical persona around themselves and in so doing were able to capture both the hearts and the minds of the people. In China, this was accomplished through a nationwide indoctrination campaign aimed at educating the masses. Mao called this ideological remolding his “thought reform program” – a nationwide coordinated program of psychological, social, and political coercion. Colloquially, the Chinese called it hse nao, translated literally as “wash brain” or “cleansing the mind.” This term was adopted as “brainwashing” during the 1950s Red Scare. Meanwhile, China became a national cult, worshipping Chairman Mao and following all that he commanded.
We in America, of course, are nowhere near this situation now under Trump. Yet, White House officials and staff and much of the Congress are clearly sycophants. They remain silent and/or complicit by helping with damage control over Trump’s many missteps, most especially his dictatorial behavior (sudden firings, secret meetings, overtures to our adversaries, abasement of those who he believes have betrayed him, threats of removal, refusal to meet with Mueller, and so on).
And Trump has a vociferous and loyal base of followers. They still proudly wear their MAGA hats, and continue to see Trump as God-given, as the Messiah figure who will right all the wrongs (real or perceived) they feel they have endured. As a good charismatic leader, Trump plays to his base every chance he gets, and does so on a grand scale, for example, by continuing to hold political rallies and most recently calling for a grand military parade. Trump’s followers respond boldly to his vitriolic statements and have been known to carry out nasty and violent attacks against those deemed “the other” – people of color, liberals, immigrants, the LGBT community, and so on. We’ve seen this with the knifing and murder of immigrants in Michigan, with the countless outbursts of blatant racism around the country, rural and urban, with the boldness of the White nationalists in social media and at protests. Trump remains their infallible leader, no matter what he does or says. In fact, they love it – to them, it shows his strength and determination to do right by them. He’s brazen so they can be brazen.
[1] Definitions in this section are from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.
[2] Madeleine Albright, Fascism: A Warming (New York: Harper Collins, 2018), p. 16.
[3] Albright, Fascism, p. 13.
First, we must dissect some terms.
A dictator is “one ruling absolutely and often oppressively.” To be dictatorial is to be “oppressive to or arrogantly overbearing to others.”[1]
To be authoritarian, which is a typical cult leader trait, is to favor “blind submission to an authority.” And that authority figure can be a leader who is “not constitutionally responsible to the people.”
Totalitarian means “of or relating to centralized control by an autocratic leader.” This includes “subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life and the productive capacity of the nation especially by coercive measures (as censorship and terrorism). Another word for this is totalism. To describe someone as totalitarian means that person is an advocate or practitioner of totalitarianism.
An autocrat is “one who has undisputed influence or power; a person ruling with unlimited authority.”
In one sense these words are somewhat interchangeable; yet, each does have a distinct meaning. Nevertheless, they are all related concepts. For a deeper understanding of these concepts, the works of Hannah Arendt, Robert Jay Lifton, Edgar Schein, Erving Goffman, Erich Fromm, George Orwell, Arthur Koestler, Eric Hoffer, Alexandra Stein, and others in the fields of history, social psychology, and political science are relevant.
And to this mix, we must add fascism: “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.” In essence, fascism is an extreme form of authoritarian rule linked to rabid nationalism.”[2] Some note that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is the classic fascist leader.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright writes: “the Fascist chiefs we remember best were charismatic. Through one method or another, each established an emotional link to the crowd and, like the central figure in a cut, brought deep and often ugly feelings to the surface. This is how the tentacles of Fascism spread inside a democracy.”[3]
The person at the top of a closed and hierarchical system becomes the One Master. He is above the law, and he sets the law. He may disregard all nay-sayers, and even punish them. He is usually a paranoid bully, but deft at creating his own reality – a reality into which he draws followers through lies, propaganda, and threats. He lacks empathy and rules by fiat, disregarding the potential dire consequences. He believes he is the center of the universe, and brooks no criticism or disagreement.
The type of relationship this leader has with his followers determines whether or not we may describe it as cultic. When the relationship is based on charismatic authoritarianism, then the key is turned in the lock. The system is closed and shut tight. Absolute loyalty is required, demanded of the acolytes. By creating a hostile “outside world,” the leader is able to further lure and sway his followers into deep-seated trust and blind obedience.
Dictators, such as Mussolini or Pol Pot, did not have charismatic authority. They were not loved by the people, and therefore had to resort mostly to violence. But more clever leaders, such as Mao Tse-tung or Kim il-sung, were able to create a mystical persona around themselves and in so doing were able to capture both the hearts and the minds of the people. In China, this was accomplished through a nationwide indoctrination campaign aimed at educating the masses. Mao called this ideological remolding his “thought reform program” – a nationwide coordinated program of psychological, social, and political coercion. Colloquially, the Chinese called it hse nao, translated literally as “wash brain” or “cleansing the mind.” This term was adopted as “brainwashing” during the 1950s Red Scare. Meanwhile, China became a national cult, worshipping Chairman Mao and following all that he commanded.
We in America, of course, are nowhere near this situation now under Trump. Yet, White House officials and staff and much of the Congress are clearly sycophants. They remain silent and/or complicit by helping with damage control over Trump’s many missteps, most especially his dictatorial behavior (sudden firings, secret meetings, overtures to our adversaries, abasement of those who he believes have betrayed him, threats of removal, refusal to meet with Mueller, and so on).
And Trump has a vociferous and loyal base of followers. They still proudly wear their MAGA hats, and continue to see Trump as God-given, as the Messiah figure who will right all the wrongs (real or perceived) they feel they have endured. As a good charismatic leader, Trump plays to his base every chance he gets, and does so on a grand scale, for example, by continuing to hold political rallies and most recently calling for a grand military parade. Trump’s followers respond boldly to his vitriolic statements and have been known to carry out nasty and violent attacks against those deemed “the other” – people of color, liberals, immigrants, the LGBT community, and so on. We’ve seen this with the knifing and murder of immigrants in Michigan, with the countless outbursts of blatant racism around the country, rural and urban, with the boldness of the White nationalists in social media and at protests. Trump remains their infallible leader, no matter what he does or says. In fact, they love it – to them, it shows his strength and determination to do right by them. He’s brazen so they can be brazen.
[1] Definitions in this section are from Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed.
[2] Madeleine Albright, Fascism: A Warming (New York: Harper Collins, 2018), p. 16.
[3] Albright, Fascism, p. 13.
Learn More
If you or someone you know would like access to further teachings, training, and education on cults and coercive relationships, we invite you to subscribe to out monthly newsletter and event calendar.
Subscribe
