Marcel Dirsus | How Tyrant's Fall

Marcel Dirsus | How Tyrant's Fall

Author: Curious Worldview Production March 31, 2025 Duration: 50:12

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The following is with German political scientist, former beer brewer in the Congo, and author of How Tyrants Fall - Marcel Dirsus
Marcel interviewed coup leaders, dissidents and soldiers to write about the workings and malfunctions of tyrants. Because while the individual personas, eccentricities and reputations might make them all distinct from one another, there are more threads that draw disparate dictator's together than don’t.
I think this excerpt from the book sums up the essence of Marcel’s work and as well, the themes in todays podcast.
“The most powerful tyrants on earth are condemned to live their life in fear. They can make their enemies disappear with a snap of their fingers. They, their families, and their acolytes may control entire countries from the luxury of their palace, but they also have to spend their every waking hour plagued by the fear of losing everything. No matter how powerful they become, they cannot pay for or order that fear to disappear. If such tyrants make one wrong move, they will fall.”
So the interview is about the workings of various tyrants around the world, both living and dead. 
I ask Marcel about applying a prisoners of geography lens to this topic, china and the case for dictators not being all bad all the time, marcel’s rogues gallery of tyrants and as well, Marcel offers a raw reflection of the potential future of authoritarianism in the USA particularly because of the astounding moves made so far under trump. This was recorded the day after the US inauguration.
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From the team at Curious Worldview Production comes The Geopolitics & Power Podcast, a collection of focused discussions pulled from the wider conversations of their primary show. This series zeroes in on the forces that quietly shape our world, moving beyond the day's headlines to examine the deeper cultural currents and societal shifts that define international relations. You'll hear explorations of how history, identity, and belief systems translate into real influence on the global stage. These episodes are essentially curated highlights, offering digestible insights into complex topics for anyone trying to make sense of a rapidly changing landscape. For those who find these snippets engaging, the full, in-depth interviews are available by searching for A Curious Worldview wherever you listen. This companion podcast serves as a direct line to the substantive parts of those longer conversations, all centred on understanding the intricate dance of geopolitics and power. It’s a straightforward resource for curious minds, stripping away the noise to focus on the underlying patterns that govern our collective future.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 80

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