The Monument of Fear: How Authoritarian Bullies Divide Societies

Christian Rook

October 2024

Everyone has had to deal with bullies at one time or another. At schools, workplaces, and in public areas, they make their presence known through a variety of aggressive behaviors and intimidation—things that always leave us in wonder as to how they seemingly never face the consequences for their actions. Bullying certainly is not confined to the schoolyard. The resonating dynamics of fear are apparent not only in individual experience but also in political dimensions. Populist leaders now, as in the past, rely on a remarkably familiar set of strategies—lower-scale versions of which we have all encountered in our own lives. National demagogues resemble playground bullies, ruling by fear and sowing division.

These leaders exploit divisive politics, just as bullies did during our youth, in order to polarize and instill fear in people for the acquisition of power. In claiming to represent "the people," they are, at the same time, undermining democracy itself. But what has given these leaders their access to the most powerful positions, and most importantly, how will we protect ourselves against their powers of persuasion? The source of bullying, tracing the rise of populist movements, and examining the individual qualities that set these men apart—all must be returned to in order to do this. Only by doing so can we envision a way to restore unity and reason in a divided political environment.

Recognizing the Bullies We Know

For many of us, bullying started in childhood: the bullies of the schoolyard—used to leveraging their size or commanding presence—hefted or social influence to belittle others. The vehicle may be mockery, intimidation, or aggression—often tactics that paralyze onlookers into silent agreement. We get bigger, the scenery changes, but the dynamics face us with a knowing, discomforting sense of familiarity. In work environments, bullies take charge as oppressive supervisors or cunning peers, wielding fear to establish control. Public offices are also affected: we find officials exercising authority with reckless disregard, making self-serving decisions that disadvantage the vulnerable.

Whatever the context or stage of life, these figures share a psychological profile typified by insecurity, narcissism, and a near total absence of empathy. Playground bullies and bullies in positions of authority maintain control through fear. Such bullies are unpredictable and deliberately keep others guessing as to who might be their next target. Perhaps the most confusing characteristic of bullies is their unabated determination to maintain control. Many times they can operate within an environment where no one feels empowered to act or where people simply don't care—unless it affects them personally.

Such apathy allows bullies to flourish. It allows them to escalate personal interactions from a microcosm into a great power in national politics.

The Populist Shift: Bullying as a Political Tool

Just as personal bullies thrive on fear and division, populist leaders in politics do the same. Much of the heard populism is framed as a movement of "the people" against the "elite," but that framing greatly simplifies things. It encourages a binary vision of the world that draws a line between "us" and a hostile "them." Populist leaders present themselves as the authentic representatives of the people, often in opposition to complex democratic entities that they claim have failed to serve the interests of the public. Times of economic insecurity or social change are when populist leaders flourish. Alienated citizens, who feel let down by the elite, turn toward whoever promises simple solutions to the problems of their lives.

These leaders often come from outside the mainstream of conventional politics, positioning themselves as pioneers or outsiders. Their discourse is filled with extreme belligerence, and promises that are structured without respect for the truth. Yet they win. Their followers are enthralled with their messages, which stroke raw emotions like fear, anger, and resentment in a relentless state of tension within entire nations.

Populist leaders use a set of three perhaps intuitive yet very effective methods to cement their power:

1. Mastery of Power: Populists firm up through divide-driving—be it racism, ethnic chauvinism, or economic class. They thrive by building cultural resentment, pitting neighbors against neighbors, demurring specified groups as existential threats.
2. Mastering the Art of Emotional Manipulation: How Populists Expertly Use and Abuse Fear. In this way, exaggerating or inventing threats, the people will always be on their toes, always in need of their strong leader for protection from all those insidious threats.
3. Populist Leaders' Strategy: Assailing Democratic Institutions in Order to Hold Onto Power. Judiciary, press, and legislative bodies are labeled as adversaries; corruption or elitism, the charge. Where trust is being undermined, it really washes away what should be the restraining structures to that leader's power.

Most Dominant Figures in History

The populist bully is hardly a new phenomenon. History has given us a long, grim parade of chiefs who rose to power through threat and terror: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Putin, and, more lately, Donald Trump. They have enjoyed disproportionate power with surprising viciousness, making their countries—and in some cases, the world—through a mix of personal charm, terror, and manipulation.

Adolph Hitler seized upon the disorder following World War I and converted ultranationalism into a genocidal nightmare. His mastery of the mass media, through the building of a personality cult and terror, compounded to enable him to commit crimes against humanity that scarred the 20th century. Joseph Stalin eliminated ruthlessly real and imagined opponents during his tenure with the statement that such bloodshed was necessary for the nation's survival. On top of this inheritance, Vladimir Putin has skillfully used political repression and control over the media to secure his grasp over power in Russia, while building support through nationalist pride and suppressing opposition.

Donald Trump is the populist strongman mailed in modern, democratic wrappings. With a rare skill, he used inflammatory language to reach out to those who felt enlisted by the economic disruption of recent decades and alienated from mainstream politics. Trump's ability to seize attention—through attacks on political opponents or by targeting the free press—includes a very clear indication that bullying, per se, plays a deeply buried and significant part in the life of politics.

Understanding the Mindset of a Bully

Indeed, many populist leaders possess all psychological characteristics associated with narcissism and psychopathy. Narcissists are driven or rather fed by an inflated sense of the importance of their own self and the constant need for admiration. They present themselves as the only solution to their country's problems and demand absolute loyalty from their following. Psychopathy opens on a different, colder dimension: lack of regret, manipulation of others, shallow feelings allow them to take decisions uncaring about humane outcomes.

It is paranoia that fuels their destructive policies. To populist leadership, the world often is seen to be conspiratorial against them. It is such a paranoid worldview that legitimizes their most Draconian measures as necessary for survival.

Who Sides with a Bully?

What makes populist bullies particularly dangerous is their astonishing ability to attract a large following, eclectic and diverse. Large numbers of people are usually enchanted by the simplicity of populist messages and believe in the need to reclaim lost greatness or repair a system that has gone wrong. Populists also make friends with the elites—media magnates, big business entrepreneurs, the top military officers—who often see an opportunity to exploit the bully's rise to power. Such alliances further strengthen the bully's power, increasing his or her influence and expanding his or her circle of influence.

Standing Up to the Bullies

How does one resist the political bully effectively? The antidote is strengthening those selfsame institutions that populists are seeking to weaken. Strengthening Democratic Institutions: A free press that informs, an independent judiciary, and a vibrant civil society are resilient barriers to the imposition of tyranny. All these need to be defended at all costs, even in the face of unrelenting attacks. Empower Media Literacy: Developing critical thinking over the messages of media will reduce the probability that people fall into the emotional manipulations of populists. Encouraging Conversation: Populists Prosper Through Division. Opportunities for open, respectful conversation across political differences create greater understanding and reduce polarization. Championing United Leadership: We are to champion leadership that would bring people together, rather than divide them, and would lead people with empathy, rather than fear.

Conclusion: Beyond the Politics of Fear

But the rise of populist bullies is only a symptom of a deeper societal malady—one eclipsed by eroding trust, democratic disengagement, and the yearning for simplistically definitive answers. History has shown that the politics of the bully yields only division and suffering. To rise above hate, we must resoundingly shun the lure of the bully, safeguard our institutions, and recommit ourselves to those qualities of empathy, discussion, and togetherness that nurture democracy's resilience.

Only by doing so can we confidently disrupt the cycle of fear and reestablish reason in our political discourse.