Chapter 3: Delegitimize the other institutions
Good news! If you completed chapter one adequately, then this process is already underway. In fact, by convincing the people that the press is nothing but a bunch of lying liars who have it out for you and the truth, you’ve laid the foundation for chapter three: making the people lose all faith in all other institutions of civil service and positioning yourself to fill the void as the sole broker of truth and power.
Step 1: I’ll be the judge of that.
One of the peskiest obstacles for an autocrat to contend with is the rule of law. It’s inconvenient. Authoritarians don’t seek power just so they can listen to some person wearing a robe tell them how to do their job. Obedience is for the weak, and authoritarians refuse to be characterized as weak.
As a strong leader who knows what’s best for your people, it is up to you to make sure that these tattle-tales don’t ruin your ascent to power or trample on the seeds of division you have sewn. You know your rights to power and anyone who stands to question you is your enemy, and by extension, the enemy of the people. This is a good time to attack an appointed official who serves on behalf of one of those annoying other parts of government:
The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 4, 2017
What a great example of how to delegitimize your opposition! You questioned the judge’s authority and placed him as an opponent of the men and women tasked with protecting the people. Never mind that you may have put off some of your other judge friends. The world needs to know that you are strong and will not accept weakness or opposition even from a so-called “expert.” After all, you’re an expert. You’re the best expert out there — heck, you’re the only real expert out there.
Step 2: Congress who?
Say you have the misfortune to live in a country in which the power of law lies in the hands of many rather than in the hands of one person. What to do about those self-righteous legislators?
The key is rapid, direct action. Assert your authority early and often. Pass as many orders, decrees, pronouncements, declarations — whatever your preferred nomenclature — as quickly as you can. By overwhelming the system you create a game of catch me if you can. You may not get everything you want accomplished, but you can be sure that they will only slow your momentum rather than extinguish your fire.
Also, cast aspersions on some of the leading members of the legislative body. Cry babies and whiners be damned. The people shouldn’t listen to those whiners. They should give their full attention and adulation to you.
Step 3: I’ll take one order of executive power.
As you may remember in chapter one, in which we talked about the evils of the so-called free press, it is important to have a message of strength and project power and stability. No matter how an authoritarian comes to power, whether it be a bloody coup or a democratic election, what’s most important is consolidating power once you’re there.
Consolidating power in any regime is about surrounding yourself with people who are willing to do or say most anything. If you have bad ideas they will own them for you. If you make up stuff or repeat a lie you heard irresponsibly, they will take the fall.
Whoa! That guy is good. He doesn’t back down. He’s full red pill. He spreads lies and refuses to provide evidence, and attacks judges and asserts your regime’s total and absolute power to do almost anything you want. He’s just the kind of person you want to surround yourself with: a rising star unfettered by the chains of tradition, democracy or constitutional law.
Associates like this are crucial to the expansion of your power. They back your growing sense of executive authority and at times even make you seem like the reasonable one. They are your frame and they are your crutch. With associates like these, you are on the right track to wanton expansion of your authority.
As an authoritarian you want to foment disruption — it’s good for business. The more chaos and fear you can sew the less resistance there is to you expanding your powers. While this is helpful to your cause, you can’t be directly connected to it. You don’t want people to get crazy ideas. You aren’t responsible for their struggles. You are the antidote to fear and insecurity. You are strength and aggression. It is the outsiders and your opponents who are to blame for any problems that may occur.
Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2017
Follow Carl on Twitter @Carlschirps.