Political scientist Stepan Danielyan wrote:
"Why do tyrants act on behalf of the people?
1. To gain legitimacy
Before, the power was from God, its brilliant tyrants acted in the name of God, now the power is from the people (at least De Jure), that's why their favorite expression is "I fulfill the will of the people".
- the people want to surround and beat the judges,
- the people want to change the composition of the Supreme Court,
- the assembly was tired of Artsakh, because of this, it decided to lose and become a sovereign.
- the people want to dispossess the "criminal oligarchy" and divide their property among the CP members, etc.
2. Avoidance of personal liability
When a tyrant makes destructive decisions, the rhetoric of speaking "for the people" helps shift the blame onto others;
3. Division of "us" and "them".
By usurping the right to speak on behalf of the entire population, the tyrant automatically excludes any opposition from that field.
The solution is simple. "I am the people. If you are against me, it means that you are against your own people (you are traitors, fifth column, enemies of the motherland)."
4. Psychological fusion
Dictators often use the concept that the leader is the embodiment of the nation. They are trying to erase the border between themselves, the state and society.
5. Creating the illusion of unanimous agreement
With the help of controlled media and fake farms, an image of a homogenous society is created that agrees with everything.
To the person inside the country who does not agree with the regime, it begins to seem that he is an absolute minority. Since "everyone is in favor", then raising a voice is dangerous and pointless. It paralyzes the will to resist.
In short: Speaking on behalf of the people is not a sign of love for the "people's prime minister", but a key tool for political survival. It allows turning the tyrant's coercion into "obedience" and his permissiveness into "democracy of the highest order".
