"The tyrant always talks as if he's preserving the best interests of his people when he actually acts to undermine them"

Tyranny seldom emerges with a bare and open face. Instead, it cloaks itself in rhetoric designed to appeal to anxieties, pride, and hopes. When a tyrant addresses the people, the language chosen is rarely that of domination for its own sake. Rather, the tyrant insists that their actions, however harsh, unilateral, or repressive, arise from an earnest desire to protect, improve, or preserve the common good. States become “fortified,” dissent is silenced “for national unity,” and fundamental rights are restricted “for public safety.” The justification is always the flourishing or safety of the people.

Beneath this discourse, however, one finds active subversion of the very interests claimed to be defended. The tyrant’s goals are self-preservation and the consolidation of power, not public welfare. The oppressive tactics, censorship, surveillance, the stifling of opposition, undermine the civic, moral, and economic well-being of society. Freedoms are withdrawn, distrust spreads, civic participation withers, and the institutions meant to safeguard the collective interest are weakened or hollowed out. People may be lulled by patriotic language, distracted by promises of prosperity and unity, failing to notice the gradual erosion of their agency and rights.

The effectiveness of the tyrant’s language lies in presenting subjugation as stewardship. By painting autocratic control as benevolent protection, the tyrant can demand sacrifice and compliance while diverting scrutiny from the actual consequences of their rule. Those who raise concerns or resist are branded as enemies not only of the leader but of the people themselves. This dynamic fosters a climate where the actions most harmful to a populace are disguised as acts of service.

This pattern exposes a fundamental irony: the louder the insistence that the people’s interests are being maintained, the more vigilant one must be for signs that those interests are being quietly dismantled or betrayed. Recognizing this deception is essential for any society wishing to guard against the slow encroachment of tyranny.