Dictator Fatigue: Koreans Got Rid of Them... Russia Should Too
When South Korea gets tired of its dictators, the pressure valve bursts and change happens. Yes, sometimes the anger is fueled by toxic jealousy after years of patience. But at least Koreans are willing to make sacrifices to change its leaders when that red line is crossed. Where is that line for Russian society and has it shifted with the recent events in Ukraine?
South Korean Dictator Park Chung-hee (who was repeatedly 'democratically elected') ruled from 1961 to 1979 until a fateful evening when his own director of intelligence, Kim Jae-gyu, offed his own boss and long-time friend. Was it a moment of passion? Was it planned out? Was the American CIA involved in regime change? There's no consensus on the official answer. But what's clear is that Kim had extreme 'dictator fatigue'.
After a certain point, even those in the inner circle do not see a viable future under a dictator for life. Life degrades around them. And the increasingly perverse orders for them to carry out lethal attacks against their own citizens to preserve power for the dictator seems to weigh heavily on all except the psychopathic. It's all a matter of time. But how much can society afford to wait?
