Hitler was motivated largely by his hate of Jews and his wish to completely eliminate the Jewish race. He was also attempting to take over and rule the entire world.
He made long emotional rambling speeches. He created several secret police agencies that operated beyond the law. The elections became rigged. When it became obvious that the allies working against him were going to win, his responses included diverting the railroads that were necessary to supply his troops, to hauling more victims to the gas chambers.
His troops were starving. Several generals were plotting to assassinate him. He took the cowards way out.
Nero, like most Roman emperors, emphasized bread and circuses. Make sure the people are fed and provide entertainment. In Rome鈥檚, case brutal entertainment. He used the Christian community as a scapegoat for the Great Fire, leading to brutal public executions.
This solidified his image in Christian tradition as a precursor to the Antichrist.
He was obsessed with the arts, frequently performing in public as a singer and chariot racer 鈥� behavior that scandalized the Roman elite. He bragged that he found Rome in wood and left it in marble. Following multiple revolts, he committed suicide.
Stalin is most known as the ruthless dictator who transformed the Soviet Union into a global superpower through totalitarian rule, brutal industrialization and forced collectivism. He led the USSR through World War II to victory against Nazi Germany but is equally known for widespread state terror, the Great Purge, and causing millions of deaths through famine and gulags. He said it doesn鈥檛 matter who votes; it only matters who counts the votes.
Naturally, he never lost an election. His KGB set the standard for a secret police that could persecute anybody outside the law. He died of a heart attack because he ordered his minions not to enter his bedchamber.
We can see that there are several things that these dictators had in common. As their duly authorized power, wanes, they increased control and brutality to stay in power. They create police forces that operate outside the law, vigorously.
The dictator always defends those forces claiming that what they鈥檙e doing is necessary to preserve their countries way of life. Dictators that often began elected, took steps to rig the elections. We can often identify a dictatorship by the overwhelming votes that they receive, often exceeding 90% of the vote. Elections in democracy are usually narrowly contested. Normally in America, an election victory is usually in the low 50%.
One way to rally a people鈥檚 support is to find a common enemy. If there is no common enemy, make one up. One way this is done is to start of war, find a pretext 鈥� no matter how shallow 鈥� and use this as an excuse to attack another country.
Putin claimed that somehow Ukraine was on a path to becoming a NATO ally that would attack Russia, in spite of NATO鈥檚 history of never attacking anybody. George W. Bush alleged in 2003 that Iraq was building weapons of mass destruction. He went so far as to fabricate evidence of such weapons in order to start a war. He believed that wartime presidents always get reelected, and it worked. But when they dismantled Iraq, they never found a single weapon more potent than a fighter plane.
Iran is bombing 10 countries in the Middle East in response to American bombing Iran. It was obvious to any who thought about it that Iran鈥檚 response to being attacked would be to bomb smaller Israel. Iran鈥檚 Sahel drone bombs cost $25,000, but shooting one down takes a $4 million Patriot missile.
The bombing was intended to intimidate them from building nuclear weapons out of the material that we were told was destroyed several months ago. Iran鈥檚 other response is cutting off the West鈥檚 supply of oil, and thus getting more for theirs.
Is this how World War III starts?
Ken Obenski is a forensic engineer and safety and freedom advocate in South Kona. He writes a biweekly column for 91直播. Feedback is encouraged at obenskik@gmail.com.