Final Chapter: The Dictator's Playbook
How Power Works, Why It’s Working, and What Comes Next
For the past month, we’ve been dissecting The Dictator’s Handbook and applying its brutal logic to our current moment.
At its core, the book argues one simple truth:
Politics isn’t about ideology, morality, or governance—it’s about staying in power.
Leaders don’t act in the public interest unless they have to. They act in ways that maintain their coalition of supporters—rewarding the loyal, eliminating the threats, and reshaping institutions to serve their survival.
This isn’t a theory. It’s a universal law of power, playing out in real time.
We’ve covered three key pillars:
How Trump consolidates power by rewarding loyalists and purging enemies
How he uses media and disinformation to control the narrative
How he is weaponizing the legal system to protect himself and punish opposition
Now, let’s put it all together.