If you ever wondered how democracies can accidentally elect dictators, good news: history has left us a very clear instruction manual.
It is neither hidden nor complicated. Unfortunately, like most people who buy electronics, voters rarely read the manual - and then act surprised when the device catches fire.
Time and again, democracies keep electing dictators who couldn’t care less about the rule of law, human rights, or even democracy itself. And then we act shocked when they behave exactly as advertised.
Let us begin with US President Donald Trump - a walking, talking case study in how someone with obvious authoritarian tendencies could be popularly elected in one of the world’s most liberal democracies.
He demonstrated that personal branding and public office can be seamlessly fused into one giant cash register. Why waste time on tedious governance and policy details when grievance can be monetised, merchandised, and sold at a premium?
In this worldview, institutions and laws are not safeguards - they are inconveniences. They exist to be undermined, ignored, or weaponised for personal vendettas.
Allies were mocked, denigrated, and threatened, tariffs were imposed on impulse, and military threats casually floated against places like Greenland, Venezuela, Colombia, Iran, and Nigeria, as if foreign policy were a late-night poker game played after one too many drinks.
Migrants were dehumanised, families separated, and enforcement agencies turned into instruments of fear rather than law.
The Jan 6 insurrection he stoked was like a flashing neon sign screaming, “I don’t give a damn about democracy.” And yet - Americans voted for him again.
Apparently, the sign was not big enough.
History littered with false messiahs
But Trump is not an exception. He is part of a pattern - a very old one.
Adolf Hitler did not seize power through a coup; he was elected. He exploited economic pain, national humiliation, and identity anxieties. He told people they were victims - then offered himself as their revenge.
Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte rode public anger over crime, promised simple solutions, and delivered brutality instead.
And closer to home, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad showed how democratic mandates can be used to weaken institutions, muzzle critics, and centralise power - all while insisting it was “for stability” or “for development”.
Authoritarians rarely announce themselves as such. They come disguised as saviours.
So how do you identify a wannabe dictator in a democracy? Watch for these familiar moves.
First, locate real grievances among the people. People must be hurting - economically, socially, or culturally.
This is crucial: the grievances must be real. High living costs, corruption, inequality, and insecurity. Then perform the trick: blame the wrong people, preferably an opponent, a minority, or anyone who cannot easily fight back.
Second, distort facts relentlessly. Truth is stubborn, lies are flexible.
Repeat them often enough and undermine trust in mainstream media by labelling it fake, foreign, or elite-controlled. Social media algorithms will happily amplify the outrage. Facts crawl, falsehoods sprint.
Third, divide and dehumanise. Call critics traitors, minorities threats, opponents enemies of the people.
Once people are reduced to labels - or worse, sub-humans - cruelty becomes policy, and abuse becomes “necessary”.
Fourth, promise miracles. Instant economic growth, lower cost of living, jobs for everyone, and crime eliminated overnight.
No trade-offs, no costs, no details. Anyone who asks for evidence or numbers clearly “doesn’t love the country”.
Fifth, tell different crowds different truths; contradict yourself freely. You are not inconsistent - you are “strategic”.
Free markets for one audience, protectionism for another. Democracy today, strong rule tomorrow. Accountability is a burden best carried by other people.
Finally, undermine trust in everything except yourself. Courts are biased, journalists are liars, civil servants are saboteurs, elections are rigged - unless you win.
When nothing is credible, only the dictator and their loyal sycophants remain.
They are in our midst
The joke, of course, is that none of this is funny.
Democracies do not usually collapse with tanks rolling down the streets. They collapse with applause, laughter, memes, and social media likes. They collapse while people are entertained, distracted, and reassured that “it can’t happen here”.
The lesson is simple and uncomfortable: dictators do not arrive uninvited. They are elected by citizens who confuse anger with courage, boasting with competence, and cruelty with strength.
We have such politicians in our midst. They champion the grievances of their own community. Theirs is the politics of “us versus them”.
They tell us our problems are others’ fault, our identity is under threat, and only they are patriotic enough to save us.
Beware of these opportunistic wolves - smiling, shouting, and waving flags - seeking to ride to power on our very real grievances.
Democracy does not die because people stop voting. It dies when people stop thinking. - Mkini
THOMAS FANN is former Bersih chairperson and a Projek Sama founding member. He writes about democratic integrity, civic empowerment, and institutional reform in Malaysia.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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