Political "Yes Men" Surround The Ruler

A few yes men may be born, but mostly they are made. Fear is a great breeder of them. ~William Wrigley, Jr.

I only have 'yes' men around me. Who needs 'no' men? ~Mae West

Be aware of "yes" men. Generally, they are losers. Surround yourself with winners. Never forget - people win. ~Bear Bryant

I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their job. ~Samuel Goldwyn

I didn't feel the need to have a lot of yes-men standing around me. As Mitchell Sharp once put it, the bigger the staff, the smaller the minister. ~Jean Chretien

The best thing is to always keep honest people around, because when you have a bunch of yes men around that know that you're making a mistake but let you go on with it, that's when it ruins your mind state as an artist. ~Kendrick Lamar

When I imagine an authoritarian, narcissistic, and demagogic politician surrounded by bumbling advisers who are only self-seeking flatterers upon him, I see a political system in full-blown meltdown. I've learned just how dangerous such a dynamic is because I've seen how unaccountable power gives rise to delusion, and how a regime of leadership lacks integrity creates an emptiness of truth.

In this type of system, the first thing to disappear is honest criticism.

The ruler hears only what he wants to hear, and soon, that is all he hears. Any attempt at dissent is rewarded or silenced, and therefore, counselors come to echo his thoughts, approve his prejudices, and flatter his ego. The leader's misperception of reality becomes the stand-in for accurate facts. Consequently, decision-making becomes further and further removed from the interests of the people and the reality on the ground.

Policy failures are bound to occur.

These advisors, chosen as much for their loyalty as for their ability, fumble the ball when faced with the challenges of the real world. They are unskilled, unaware, lacking courage and vision to steer in times of crises. And instead of facing mistakes head-on, they hide them, spin them in the press, or blame others. And in the long run, it creates a culture of dysfunction, where no one calls anyone to account and nothing gets done.

Corruption thrives in such a culture.

Where merit is not as valued as loyalty, the path is laid for cronyism, nepotism, and oligarchism. Power seats are doled out like favours, not achieved through talent. The result is a government that no longer exists to serve its people but to serve the ruler. Public funds are wasted, abuse of political power goes unchecked, and the ones suffering from it are the common folk.

With such failure mounting, there is increased psychological insecurity in the ruler.

I have seen how these kinds of leaders, in avoiding accepting failure, start attributing blame. They construct external enemies such as China, blaming the media as "fake news", internal enemies by blaming the minorities, or the socially marginalized. The people are being fed a perpetual diet of fear, resentment, and polarization. This paranoia cuts deeper, and the society begins to dismember itself from within outwards.

What concerns me the most is how institutions break down under this pressure of fear. Courts, the education system, public services, The House of Representatives and Senate are all turned into instruments of propaganda are slowly eroded. Neutral spaces become politicized, and the laws become re-written to serve the ruler. Checks and balances are lost, and the rule of law becomes a formality.

A cult of personality emerges in the process.

The leader is now the embodiment of the nation, the source of all answers and truths. Advisors are not policymakers anymore but cheerleaders instead, validating the myth of greatness even as the nation falters. Propaganda becomes communication, fear replaces trust, and lying becomes Retruth.

I have witnessed enough patterns in history to understand where this unraveling goes. It's not a fresh tale. From Hitler during his last moments to Saddam Hussein in the company of loyalists, or any of a dozen or more dying strongmen throughout history, the scenario is always the same. A regime founded upon delusion, fear, and cravenly submissive self-seeking supporters ultimately collapses under the burden of its own deceit.

The unfortunate part is, the people suffer long before the ruler is overthrown. And by then, so much damage has been done that the process of restoration is a task of generations. That is why I believe that it is so critical to observe these signs early and to speak out because silence, in the face of such dysfunction, only serves to further its growth.

Hey Ruler, just some ideas.