tired leftist copypasta with a 5-question democracy checklist

The "Dictator’s Playbook" hasn’t changed. Ever wonder why the world feels so heavy right now? Why leaders from Moscow to Caracas, Budapest to Pyongyang seem to follow the same script? The late Tony Benn (1925-2014) called it out years ago. He argued that if a government is afraid of its people, it has two main tools: Frighten them. (War, "enemies," and insecurity) Demoralize them. (Debt, failing services, and the feeling that "nothing will ever change") Tony Benn: "I think there are two ways in which people are controlled. First of all, frighten people and secondly, demoralize them. An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern, and I think there’s an element in the thinking of some people: we don’t want people to be educated, healthy and confident because they would get out of control." Benn’s point was simple: An educated, healthy, and confident nation is harder to govern. When you aren’t terrified or exhausted, you start asking questions that people in power hate. Next time you see putin, Xi, Orban, Fico, Trump or any leader demanding more control, put them through the "Benn Test." Stop listening to the rhetoric and ask these five things: * What power have you got? * Where did you get it from? * In whose interests do you exercise it? * To whom are you accountable? * How can we get rid of you? If a leader can't (or won't) answer the last one, you aren’t living in a democracy—you’re being managed. (The footage is taken from a later interview in his life, likely from the 2006 documentary Sicko by Michael Moore, where he discussed the relationship between the state and the welfare of its citizens. #Politics #TonyBenn #Democracy #CurrentAffairs #HumanRights