"Democracies are better places to live than dictatorships not because representatives are better people, but because their needs happen to be aligned with a large portion of the population". This might be the most optimistic sentence in this video, in a weird way
Think of it like of a beekeeper and his bees, or of a farmer and his cattle. Their livelihood depends on their property's productivity, which happens to correlate with the latter's well-being a lot - but that doesn't mean they're friends or equals.
Maybe this is why America is getting worse to live in? Automation is making citizens less necessary to production, so our rulers can start to ignore social issues and inequalities again
@@aturchomicz821 Approval for congress is 20% but reelection rates are around 80-90%. Politicians on both sides (more republicans though) draw congressional districts in ways that will put certain voting blocks into certain districts making it incredibly easy for them to win.
Best quote i've ever heard "The throne may look omnipotent from afar, but take the throne to act, and the throne acts upon you." I don't know why it sticks to well to me.
Don't get me wrong, I love the quote alone, but spinning it to sound like a warning just gives it that little extra tingle in the spine that really sets you on edge. In my opinion at least. "That throne may look omnipotent from afar, but trust me when I tell you that all is not as it would first appear; you may take the throne to act, but only when it is too late will you realise that it is the throne that has acted upon you."
@@tegan1802 certainly the former. If you want, you can just deliver it with dramatic pauses. There are reasons why quotes are so quotable, as I mentioned. It is, however, still a subjective matter.
Rule 0 : Without power you can affect nothing Rule 1 : Keep the key supporters on your side Rule 2 : Control the treasure Rule 3 :Minimize key supporters
Rule 1, Corollary: if vying for power, over-promise since you will not need everyone later. Isolate key supporters, especially before consolidating power... Be it so that they cannot cooperate to de-thrown you or through facebook groups so that they do not know what you over-promised e.g. pieces from the same budget...
The problem is that what people decide has some power over other, in democracy violenece through the state is validated, so if 90% of people want to make it legal to kill the other 10%, when someone else likes shitty music, or a shitty film or shitty shoes you don't care because they are free to like that and you are not affected by that, democracy is the mass apressing the rest, forcing them to follow their beliefs.
ESPECIALLY the ending bit "Better you on the throne than someone else...Then maybe you'll be different *fades into literal obscurity*." it seems so much like something out of a book or something
This video has legitimately had a huge impact on how I view politics and government. If I could make everyone in the US watch a single video, it would be this
@@TrollSlayerLogan In the bombings of dresden didn't die serbs. How could these bombings kill 17 Millions? God, you will never be part of our society. Come to germany and we show you what we think of Nazis like you, you won't last a second
Can I be one of your keys? I'm a polisci grad with a knack for electoral strategy and coup-proofing. My services would be quite beneficial to your new regime.
@@rifz42 Yes, on 3 conditions: 1. Keep this whole "plotting against BakedBeans" thing on the DL 2. Have a relevant skillset for running our empire 3. Be a fan of late 2000s pop
over here we had discussions like these in high school politics classes dont know why they wouldnt do so in other places. Sometimes even done in a class roleplay scenario where we chose our dictator and leaders etc. even in History classes. maybe i just got lucky with teachers who knows.
Yes. After years of political science classes, and watching this for like the tenth time, I still find myself astonished with the clarity of the analysis.
Not just that, but its been true throughout age of time, even right now. Case-in-point, The president of Peru chose the path of Revolt->Fail->To Jail (see 15:40).
@@SuHwak Apparently we lived for thousands of years in a different system that broke these rules and everyone was happy and sustainable. They're not here anymore, of course. Ask any leftist anthropologist and they'll say that without giving any proof or examples.
"These rules apply to all, and explain their actions. From the CEO of the largest global conglomerate, who must keep his board happy, to the chair of the smallest homeowners' association, managing votes and spending membership fees. You cannot escape structures of power. You can only turn a blind eye to understanding them."
What they don't want us to realize is that structures of power, whether hierarchical or not, are artificial. Neither hierarchy nor egalitarianism are natural for humans; they are choices that we can make. When they say we can't escape hierarchies, the truth is that we can't escape them _without demolishing them._
rules for being a ruler 2.0 1) metal, wood, plastic, I dont give a shit 2) metric only, no hamburger eagle gun marks per centimeter 3) be made to measure penis and penis only
you IMBECILE. Stainless steel, cork backed, 18 in rulers are far superior, and can be used to whack people as well as measure things incredibly accurately
As a Russian, this was very educational. The "Democracy that relies on natural resources" model was scarily accurate in every aspect of it. What this means is that Russia is too rich to be rich, you know? Because there's so much oil, diamonds and metals here the government will never care about us as much as we would prefer it to. We'll always stay on the lowest living standards that a democracy can keep without breaking.
@@8panthermodern2 It is. It's not a flawless one, in fact it is pretty corrupt, but it is a democracy. Regional leaders are actually elected, and i suspect that there is actually a lot of support for the current ruling party among the people, considering they've pulled the country out of a horrible crisis back in the day.
WOW, this is the BEST explaination of how politics and a few other things work in this crazy world. Far Better explaination than I have gotten from ANY teacher ANYWHERE in my life. Thank You so much!
A perfect example and warning is Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. He was a magnificent ruler who industrialized and educated Brazil, raised the quality of life for the whole nation in a nice long reign. But ultimately was overthrown by industrialists and other elites because he didn't reward them enough. His extreme popularity with the people wasn't enough, he lost the Keys. He probably could have regained the Crown through civil war but he was exhausted after a long, laborious reign.
All I hear in your comment is that they successfully ruled for a long time before they were deposed. I think it's that, and other examples, that water down what this video is teaching to an extent. You can rule, and you can make great benevolent change. It means you won't rule forever, but is that actually what you want? If you simply want to enact particular change, enact it, and retire.
@@usetheexplosives But when you leave, what's to stop the next from changing it back? You have to rule for long enough for your citizens to get used to the change, where its absence will be noticed enough to risk great protest/revolution. If you enact a change and leave before it settles, the next ruler won't have any trouble modifying it to fit his needs. And until then... well, you have to survive somehow right? Keep your keys happy.
@@usetheexplosives You're right that the rules for these are to stay in power, but remember a coup means the keys were promised more. And since the vault hasn't increased, the treasure which was being spent on the citizens is now going to go to the keys. Hence, even when you make positive change, it's going to suffer if you're overthrown by someone via a coup (since a dictator has less keys)
Cyka blyat comrade full-out dictators had extra support from glorious union middling dictators could get the cheaper lower quality surplus from WWII *sorry im trying to be a trashy tankie or something*
Every once in a while, I see something that makes the lightbulb above my head light up. Suddenly a concept not only makes sense, but becomes a link to other concepts, like a jigsaw puzzle that fits in the middle of a picture bringing it all together. Thank you for this
Having read the book on which this is based, I must say that this video, in terms of clarity of information, far exceeds the actual text. The way the information is presented here is truly remarkable since it was able to extract the most meaningful ideas from the text and was able to clarify certain ambiguities in the book. Great job CGP Grey
It's scary how many people now a days don't realize this is how governments works. People always think that governments have the peoples bests interest in mind until they are well bad off that they can't ignore it.
This gets scarier when you consider the rise of automation. Our democracy is fueled by the productivity of our citizens, but what if the citizens are no longer needed?
Companies are still productive automated or not, and they still need the citizens to buy their products. If the citizens still have power (money) being productive in other areas, they still fuel democracy.
By that time citizens are nolonger citizens anymore, we are about going enter a world exactly like cyber-punk2077. Try join those big tech Corps, or killed by gangsters and die on the streets.
Well, then, common citizens get to live their lives without the looming anxieties of needing to subject yourself to long work weeks because you feel you aren't doing enough. (It really is not as healthy as you think it is.) Maybe developing hobbies, they can then develop into a career they actually enjoy, they can potentially earn money from. People aren't lazy, they just don't want to work for big bad corporations. And everything else such as making products will probably be taking care of by automation.
In the future Dictator : I would like to thank this youtube channel called cgp Grey for teaching me how to win power Edit: Wow 6k likes.... I'm famous, also thank you to Rise of Kingdoms for teaching me very important things about military doctrine such as a 5% buff at attack for [insert civilization here] which helped me in my conquests
@@Hell_O7 you see this goes against the cgp video . They might hepl them take power but are no longer necessary so no reward and they go to gulag beacuse they are no longer useful to the dictator
Because there will always be an asshole who wants money for himself and not the greater good. Someone who value individual over society. Kinda like anti-masks "i dont care if i kill people by not wearing a mask, MY comfort is more important than THEIR lives ! "
@@kolkoki As you are reading this comment, you are inhaling god only knows how many different viruses, bacteria, germs, infections, and god knows what else. Perhaps you are even inhaling Covid-19 right this very second. While most of these are fairly harmless and in certain cases even beneficial, your body is under attack 24/7. The only way for you to stop these attacks outright is to live in a completely sealed and scrubbed environment. The masks being forced on everyone at large to 'protect the citizens' don't even qualify as such. Biological sciences have proven that your immune system is very much like your muscles. If you fail to exercise them properly and also allow them adequate rest at times, they will fail you. The consequence of such failure of an immune system is your death. Living in a 'clean' environment is just as deadly as living in filth. If you live in filth, your immune system is overtaxed and cannot keep up. If you live in a 'clean' environment, your immune system will atrophy and when the time comes, it will fail you. Masks do nothing to help this process. At most they will help contain/prevent the spread depending on the state of the person on them. To a healthy person, they will contain nothing and they will prevent the immune system from learning how to fight an infection. Masks kill healthy populations. However the result is far different for those who are at-risk as it prevents a full on outbreak that a weakened immune system can't handle right away and contains those who ARE sick. Your best defense against disease is your own build in biological defenses. If that fails, medicines are designed to bolster or otherwise assist this process until your body can adapt. Those that fail die. That's life. You can't save everyone. We are well beyond the point where masks do anybody good and it's time to let biology take over. Help those who are at-risk but at this point, it's up to those murder death machines the White Blood Cells.
“You cannot escape structures of power, you can only turn a blind eye to understanding them.” “Take the throne to act, and the throne acts upon you.” Damn, that gave me some serious goosebumps Grey...
I learned more about politics and history in this video than my first 11 years in school. Masses who know just enough knowledge to be productive professionals, but not enough to understand how society works. That's the sweet spot I guess.
Exactly, keeping the productivity of the citizens high which keeps the wealth generated that keeps society running while aslo keeping them ignorant about how power systems really work so as to be less able to effect meaningful changes to it for their benefit and much less able to hold their leaders and representatives accountable for their actions. It also helps if you keep the majority of the populace divided on stupid, miniscule things (like red vs blue but are basically the same) which diverts attention away from major problems that the leadership or representatives benefit from either not fixing or even making such issues worse for the citizenry.
That's giving WAY too much credit to the intelligence of the politicians. This video is a darkly beautiful fantasy for certain types of cynics, but don't treat it as the invariable truth.
@@stillwatersrundeep001 your giving too little credit to the people who control those politicians. Have you not watched the video? The politicians are not in control, they are constantly giving to the people around them, be it the many people in a democracy, or the few in a dictatorship.
@@stillwatersrundeep001 whether they are aware of it or not, the web that holds the flies still holds them in place. It doesn’t matter if they know about the rules, they play by them or get replaced.
@@navilluscire2567 yeah, that's wjy it's a school and not a college, they're there to give you a job not get involved in politics, that's wehere universities and actually searching for doccuments in libraties are for
Your tone of voice for this video is what I can only describe as Neutrally Evil; you calmly lay out the reasoning and motives for political (in?)action with a benevolent maliciousness. Which is, almost more than the content itself, terrifying. Excellent use of music to underscore it all.
It's not as all-encompassing as he makes it out to be. The French Revolution was a glorious clusterfuck because it failed to consolidate power effectively. The army wasn't ineffectual at stopping the revolution and the deposition of King Louis because the powerful deemed it so. The powerful simply didn't have the raw "treasure" to sustain their society. So those suffering under the society crushed it. From it rose a messed up idealistic hodge-podge of conflicting narratives that resulted in so much death, despair and destruction that the events of it are being felt today in 2019. Although this theory does predict one thing though; the rise of Napoleon Boneparte who would be the man who formulated modern France.
But remember, democracy’s are still a for-profit business and therefore education and community are a danger to it. Proper US history and education on its structure are not a part of curriculum for a reason.
@@jeremyjackson8862 Right,because every revolunionary says that to themselves. Remember when Lenin wanted to be better than those "capitalist pigs" but ended up creating the TROPE CODIFIER for dictatorships?
knerf999 one video doesn't make you an informed citizen actually do some more research on political science and reading history and current events and such is a way of becoming a informed citizen, while watching a well produced video is a good way of starting your research it is in no way comprehensive or complete. tldr: read non-fiction books
it doesn't make me an informed citizen, but no matter how much i read about it i would never be an absolutely informed citizen. But i am a marginally more informed citizen then i used to be. Got some recommendations then?
It is not a pleasant thing to know, but definitely a necessary one to understand why they rarely help people or do it if it's within the interest of the group.
This is literally darker and more devious than even Machiavelli. In the Prince, Machiavelli talks about ruling with the lightest touch and avoiding bloodshed. This is straight up darker
@@karlklaus2736 i am reading the prince and it says to rule a place it is better to be feared than loved which makes sense they are not a grandma the ruler needs to get things done
Karl Klaus Not everything is common sense in the Prince, the chapters on how to hold a state you have gained by luck is not common sense, the chapter on mercenaries and auxiliaries is not common sense. What to do in conquered territory is not common sense.
i_am_hydraa Not everything is common sense in the Prince, the chapters on how to hold a state you have gained by luck is not common sense, the chapter on mercenaries and auxiliaries is not common sense. What to do in conquered territory is not common sense.
I have only recently come across this channel and I want to commend CGP Grey. This is some of the most interesting, sometimes completely left field (Tiffany) content I have seen. He has devoted many hours of thorough research into each subject and it is presented with such intelligent humour. Well done.
Every 4 years when the US has another election I see this. Funny to watch from over here that no one is fighting for alternatives, just more of the same
Looking at Afghanistan through this lens produces a very different view from the common media narrative. Once America left Ghani couldn't fund his key supporters and so they let the Taliban replace him. Some key supporters don't believe the Taliban can pay them enough either so they would back the northern alliance.
Furthermore, the moment the Taliban came to power, they culled most key supporters- particularly the police, law, transportation, healthcare, etc. Everything is now in the control of the Afghan army, whose members have either lost/died or joined the Taliban. This is why the Taliban took over the country with nearly no opposition.
The key resource in this case was American largesse. (Does anyone think those billions of dollars in military aid were actually going to the Afghan soldiers?) But when the US pulled out, Ghani's days were numbered. Meanwhile, the Taliban are taking their cut of Afghanistan's opium trade, while making seductive eyes at Chinese mining interests.....
In my international relations class, in a section on how power is maintained, I quoted your video and referred to Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, and, lo amd behold, in the lectures, the professor in a video said "for this section, we'll be discussing the work of Bruce Bueno de Mesquita". I love when my passions line up like that
Watch some other videoes on the mind and all that stuff will start showing you that... Maybe, it's just our brains doing most of the work. We're making a nice story up for the flashing of stick figures coming and going one by one.
It isn't the whole truth. It's being relentlessly cynical for the sake of crafting a simple theoretical model, but it isn't backed up by a large chunk of history. The transition from dictatorships to democracies, for example.
Fuchsia 'tude Good to see you giving legitimate backing for what you say. However, while the quote did not originate with Bismarck, that does not mean he never said it. It is entirely plausible that Bismarck used an obscure older quote, and people who had never heard it before just assumed he said it first. You should probably edit your original comment.
Grey mentions how taking the Moral High Road makes the game more difficult by giving leverage over your Keys to your rivals. That got me thinking. Is there any amount of sheer charisma or moral inspiration in your supporters that can overcome that temptation to backstab the ruler? Are there any notable historical examples of Key Supporters rejecting a better offer from a rival out of sheer loyalty to their current ruler or their cause?
Like he said, "Even if you have gathered the most loyal, angelic supporters, they have the same problem as you, just one level down." "They too must watch out for rivals from below or above: thus the treasure they get must also be spent to maintain their position."
There is one. Maybe the only one Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. But it comes from pure loyalty from military and people to a war hero . So it is a bit cheating.
@@anatar2518 I don't think it's cheating at all; it is a valid criteria. If becoming a war hero is what it takes to max out your charisma stat then so be it.
Spend enough treasure on the ruled (or simply convince enough of the population that you are) and you can make the ruled unruly if you are deposed. What I think the video gets 'wrong' that even in dictatorships you still need enough support from the populous. To a degree the ruled population is still a key. Guns, armor, fortification, organization and stuff are all force multipliers and a military utterly divorced from the populous is hard to foster even with a caste system, at some point a population willing to potentially die for freedom can overcome a military. JC got stabbed to death because (and other reasons) he was trying to use this fact to get around needing the keys of the senate.
@@bradenallen1241 they’re only terrorists because they entered government property/Support the President. In the 60s an armed radical terrorist group stormed the capital, made demands and nothing happened to them. Those terrorists were Black Panthers.
That last bit was absolutely true. Some of the most insidious kinds of corruption perhaps not the worst, but the most common place are in municipal, and local politics. Somebody who gets elected mayor, and institutes a project that repairs the roads, who conveniently has that project start on their Street, it's far too commonplace, and far too accepted.
It get's worse. What happens when human labor is made obsolete by AI and robots? The elites purge the plebs to protect their position of power in accrodence with the second law.
Or you can be merciless and destroy every single opponent who is in it for their own profit. Then you, albeit being a villain from purely moral perspective, still remain a hero, the common interest remaining as foundation of your rule.
@@Hr1s7i and who is going to do the destroying for you? You cant do it on your own. Nobody rules alone. No matter your goal or what you do you need others to accomplish stuff. Your keys. There is no escape
@@Hr1s7i and those keys have to manage their own keys lest they get kicked out themselves. The chain of power goes all the way down, and it’s impossible to get non-greedy or at least not self interested people for every position every step of the way.
I just realized that an election is a gentle coup And that the sentence « the keys needed to gain power aren’t the same as those needed to keep it. » is still relevant
The real reason of democracy is that it assures a bloodless transition of power. So yes. The founding fathers and the enlighten area philosophers were not hippies dreaming of rainbow and unicorns, but people who proposed ways of governing that were the best for most people despite greed and corruption of the average human.
@@pietristephane3537 I hate to break it to you, but nothing **assures** a bloodless transition of power. If enough shitty stuff happens in a row it doesn't matter what system you live under, you're gonna have problems.
@@bca_4321 I "hate to break it to you" but in most democracies most of the time the transition of power is bloodless, even between different factions.... just look at an history book. Which other system of government allows a departing faction to handle the power to their opposition without violence or threat of? I "hate to break it to you" that being pedantic makes you sound ignorant more than anything. And I "hate to break it to you" that in general we speak in normal circumstance, you know cause I could go to make the statement to someone who says "water makes wet" : "I hate to break it to you but if enough work is made on the surface, water does not make wet"..... I would propose a new pseudo for you: mister pedantic a... ha....
Not exactly the real reason for democracy, but a very convincing argument for it. In a monarchy or similar hierarchies, you need to actually battle the government in order to replace it. Wars are destructive and risks destroying the infrastructure that are sources of revenue for the country. Not so in democracies where the government can be replaced in an election. Sure, the incumbents may be tempted to suspend the laws to keep themselves in power but that risks destroying the very lucrative infrastructures in a democracy and so are discouraged from initiating a civil war. Besides, they can just try again in the next election. Of course, an idiot who initiates a civil war in a democracy anyway will soon find his/her coffers empty and his key supporters giving him the cold shoulder.
*Is there no winning for the lower classes, will the higher classes always be scummy? It’s actually not as hopeless as people are saying it is. Like the video mentioned the system is like a house of cards. If the people want to overthrow all the bad people, and get decent treatment from the new higher ups, we have to start at the bottom and replace the lowest keys with a lot more moral people that won’t support the bad guys. It’s an uphill battle but it’s entirely possible! Everyone just needs to be aware of this fact.*
Because everyone always says, "when I'm in charge, I'll be different!" When in reality you'll be just as corrupt and amoral as every ruler before you. There are very few exceptions in history.
“but surely you on the throne will be better than someone else; and who knows maybe you will be different” (image changes from benevolent representative to dictator who winks at you). Awesome ending couldn’t have been more perfect.
I watched the Cortex podcast video about this and I have to say I'm really glad you made this despite it being a harder one for you to make. It's one of my favorite videos of yours. This kind of structure to power is one of those things that's there and maybe apparent to a lot of people but seems like no one discusses directly but is important to
You're the only channel I've clicked the bell for. I appreciate the careful, objective way you go through these topics. You never go after any political affiliation, or any specific figurehead. You simply state facts and allow us to cone to our own conclusion. It's phenomenal in this day and age. I appreciate it. Thank you for all your hard work.
This video is flowing so smoothly. It is a well design, logical explanation on the generic way any power structure exist. It apply to countries, companies and families. You want to be promoted to manager? Learn the politic of your environment.
I mean yeah why would you need to pay your keys if you can just kill them every week and focus on your people You complain? You dont like the money i give you? You demand more money or you overthrown me? Alright then *gun bullet sound*
But if he killed them on a regular basis to be replaced wouldn’t the people who would become keys eventually catch on and stop trying to become the keys?
@@kramarancko1107 but the keys were living better lives than the peasants. Rather live better for a week than die a sad death after ur sad life. Also they were gambling on the chances that they would survive.
0th Rule: Without power, you can affect nothing. 1st Rule: Keep the key supporters on your side. 2nd Rule: Control the treasure. 3rd Rule: Minimize key supporters.
People always say they want the second rule to apply to the other kind of rulers - but what possible pitfalls could there be to the people getting their wish? I wonder.
Alex A another exception is the state of Colorado legalized marijuana through referendum and legally bypassed the state congress that was against it at the time. Sometimes a lot of common folk getting together can make a difference ;)
I remember when I first watched this video and it created a real "Aha moment", while today that's just become so obvious to me that I'm almost genuinely surprised I didn't always know it. That's the brilliance of genuine insights: once you know them, it just becomes "duh"
The problem is that what people decide has some power over other, in democracy violenece through the state is validated, so if 90% of people want to make it legal to kill the other 10%, when someone else likes shitty music, or a shitty film or shitty shoes you don't care because they are free to like that and you are not affected by that, democracy is the mass apressing the rest, forcing them to follow their beliefs.
@@novkorova2774 Well, yes that's why we don't let people vote on those things. We have autocratic human rights committees e.t.c that everyone just agrees on being necessary. Not to mention you have political representives and not actual direct democracy.
@@novkorova2774 I've heard it called "Tyranny of the Majority." Depending on the system, 51% of the people can make decisions/laws that hurt the other 49%.
The keys to power can be applied to pretty much everything. I watched this video 5yrs ago and ever since I saw it, I'm always looking for the HMFIC's keys. Thanks for the eye opener.
Consider the "Rules for Rulers" dynamics with the impending "Humans need not apply". Suddenly the majority of the population is no longer capable of producing wealth and dictatorships start to emerge everywhere.
Irvel N this implies people wants power above all, which under the current zeitgeist certainly seems to be the case. Therefore, if we can shift from this zeitgeist to a new one, more aligned to the technological developments we have before us, then maybe we can do without those 'keys' in our society.
Lol at all the idiots in the comments going "THIS PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHY MY POLITICAL OPPONENTS ARE SO EVIL", not realizing the whole point of the video is that it applies to every leader regardless of their ideology.
To be fair, there are some asshats more willing to hold power using this system than most. Yes the throne acts on you, but you can't deny a lot of people spend way more time helping their keys and donors than the people, despite other people in their exact same position doing more for the people while remaining in office just as long. There's a certain willingness to side with bastards over the people that certain people have. Nice thing about a democracy is, you can theoretically focus on making sure as many people under your "rule" are happy as you can. Yet a lot of politicians seem to run to big oil, pharma, private prisons, military contractors, foreign governments, etc. So, I can't totally blame people for missing the point since this structure did help them understand better why people give money and power to special interest groups, but yeah, they missed the point. If the system were making everyone as bad as their political opponents, assuming they truly are that bad, then democracy is inherently going to fuck them. I don't believe that's true, electoral college notwithstanding. They're bastards because they ran towards power in the way this video described, rather than trying to maintain enough power to get elected, and then do the right thing. And because, their special interest groups don't care about most people. Or at least that's how I view things, and my view of this is colored. Doesn't take a doctorate to know what political leaning I'm coming at this from.
What if you outlaw paying keys to power though so flat taxes no lobbying no subsidies ect in this case the only voting block that would be able to be influenced would be the general public because it would be illegal to reward any specific voting block or key to power
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Making this video caused me to need a new office… and to terrorize my neighbor: ruclips.net/video/D2AMBafWr08/видео.html
"Democracies are better places to live than dictatorships not because representatives are better people, but because their needs happen to be aligned with a large portion of the population". This might be the most optimistic sentence in this video, in a weird way
It just goes to show the democracies of today are slipping further away from democracy.
Think of it like of a beekeeper and his bees, or of a farmer and his cattle. Their livelihood depends on their property's productivity, which happens to correlate with the latter's well-being a lot - but that doesn't mean they're friends or equals.
more aligned than dictatorship, but still not enough
Maybe this is why America is getting worse to live in? Automation is making citizens less necessary to production, so our rulers can start to ignore social issues and inequalities again
@@angelcakes5151 So this is how Humans Need Not Apply comes to pass.......in a more dystopian way than we even imagined initially.
1. Be straight.
2. Mark centimetres and millimetres on yourself.
3. Be short and light enough to be able to be used as a ruler.
Louis Cho you lost me at "be straight"
Louis Cho I failed step 1
Louis Cho so don't be gay, American or fat
pretty good rules for being a ruler.
Whats a centimeter???
I know the banana represents food, but I like the idea that all dictators have one key guy who demands bananas
EdgyShooter Ba-nan-a
I think its a nod to the banana republic
Fucking Chiquita
4:38
Your welcome
also to represent a banana republic
Thanks! I bought the Dictator's Handbook after watching this, and found it instructive.
Instructive? 😬
“When approval ratings couldn’t be lower, yet re-election rates couldn’t be higher, youll know you’ve succeeded” yikes
Cough putin cough
@@masac2853 Cough, Cough, US Politics.
@@JoelLundqvist98 ok?
@@aturchomicz821 Approval for congress is 20% but reelection rates are around 80-90%. Politicians on both sides (more republicans though) draw congressional districts in ways that will put certain voting blocks into certain districts making it incredibly easy for them to win.
@@JoelLundqvist98 This is because a large number of people believe the presidency is the only vote that matters. They're fools.
Best quote i've ever heard "The throne may look omnipotent from afar, but take the throne to act, and the throne acts upon you." I don't know why it sticks to well to me.
Don't get me wrong, I love the quote alone, but spinning it to sound like a warning just gives it that little extra tingle in the spine that really sets you on edge. In my opinion at least.
"That throne may look omnipotent from afar, but trust me when I tell you that all is not as it would first appear; you may take the throne to act, but only when it is too late will you realise that it is the throne that has acted upon you."
@@tegan1802 ooh dramatic. this should be in a novel
@@tegan1802 the original is already a clear warning, dense, short and sweet. You make it longer with unnecessary words.
@@LK_tutturu Sure - the extra words are unnecessary to get the point across, but which is more dramatic?
@@tegan1802 certainly the former. If you want, you can just deliver it with dramatic pauses. There are reasons why quotes are so quotable, as I mentioned. It is, however, still a subjective matter.
Instructions unclear, became a key smith
Same
Same
The Doc Block LockPickingLawyer would be proud
LOL
LOL damn that's a funny reply
Rule 0 : Without power you can affect nothing
Rule 1 : Keep the key supporters on your side
Rule 2 : Control the treasure
Rule 3 :Minimize key supporters
Rule 1, Corollary: if vying for power, over-promise since you will not need everyone later. Isolate key supporters, especially before consolidating power... Be it so that they cannot cooperate to de-thrown you or through facebook groups so that they do not know what you over-promised e.g. pieces from the same budget...
Rule -1: Keep the Army happy
Rule 34: do not search for porn of yourself once you gain power
@@Blockenheimer 🤣
I thought Rule 0 was keep the army happy
To quote the Donkey Kong Country cartoon:
"He who holds the coconut, rules."
Hol nut, rule
The "Golden Rule", he who holds the Gold Rules.
The problem is that what people decide has some power over other, in democracy violenece through the state is validated, so if 90% of people want to make it legal to kill the other 10%, when someone else likes shitty music, or a shitty film or shitty shoes you don't care because they are free to like that and you are not affected by that, democracy is the mass apressing the rest, forcing them to follow their beliefs.
The coconut being the said nation's resources.
So it is written.
People: Yay we are free
New Dictator: More like, “Under new management”
Megamind?
AH YAH
Oh Titan
The cruelty of the old dictator is no more!
Now, let a whole new wave of cruelty wash over this lazy land!!!
Gus King. Not lazy, just unable
This feels like a tyrant who's been overthrown giving advice and turn-over to the rebel commander.
ESPECIALLY the ending bit
"Better you on the throne than someone else...Then maybe you'll be different *fades into literal obscurity*."
it seems so much like something out of a book or something
@@tlhm7102 You forgot the "ruler's hat morphs into dictator's hat"
Or rather, his son, as in the case of Prince Souphanouvong
@@tlhm7102 that's why we love grey, he can be so ominous and mysterious at times
Definitely feels like a story, as others have suggested maybe a king to his son, a dictator to his child, the glorious leader to his son.
This video has legitimately had a huge impact on how I view politics and government. If I could make everyone in the US watch a single video, it would be this
Same, view this video when it came out, and it really shaped who i am today
Screw only the US, make the whole world watch this
Reminds me of the ongoing protests in Iran right now.
It is in my top three videos on RUclips and I can’t think of what the other two are right now. I always think of this one though.
If I could force everyone to watch one, it would be the ranked choice voting one.
"... And who knows, maybe you'll be different." Good last line, mate.
Adolf and Pinochet's worst crime was being different
@@TrollSlayerLogan xd
@@TrollSlayerLogan
I'd rather say the holocaust and throwing people out of helicopters were their crimes mate
@@TrollSlayerLogan
In the bombings of dresden didn't die serbs. How could these bombings kill 17 Millions?
God, you will never be part of our society.
Come to germany and we show you what we think of Nazis like you, you won't last a second
@@Karl_der_Genosse Is it the same Germany under Merkel? Place looks more divided than Bosnia
Grey, you've inspired me to become a dictator. Thank you.
Can I be one of your keys? I'm a polisci grad with a knack for electoral strategy and coup-proofing. My services would be quite beneficial to your new regime.
@@brendansunra Absolutely. But before I appoint you, how can I be certain that you won’t topple me if times get rough?
@@bakedbeans2163 Well, if times get tough because you're making bonehead decisions you can't be certain I won't.
@@brendansunra Can I be one of your keys, if BakedBeans screws up?
@@rifz42 Yes, on 3 conditions:
1. Keep this whole "plotting against BakedBeans" thing on the DL
2. Have a relevant skillset for running our empire
3. Be a fan of late 2000s pop
They'd never show us this in school yet this is one of the most important things a student could learn about the balance of power on Earth.
You can always make this a presentation.
@@alzhanvoid that's a genius idea. Maybe I'll get an opportunity,but I'm on my last months of senior year so I don't know.
over here we had discussions like these in high school politics classes dont know why they wouldnt do so in other places. Sometimes even done in a class roleplay scenario where we chose our dictator and leaders etc. even in History classes. maybe i just got lucky with teachers who knows.
I actually did watch this video in one of my classes
@@ti2218 same. I really wish they showed this to everyone, including me in my earlier schooling years.
"When approval ratings couldn't be lower, yet re-election rates couldn't be higher, you'll know you've succeeded"...MOST PROFOUND STATEMENT EVER
4 years later and still the most important video on the internet.
power is eternal, therefore, stuff explaining about power is also eternal.
Wait this was 4 years ago
@@murilo2330 Well put.
I agree
I mean really can this ever go irrelevant? Please?
This is the best Tropico tutorial I've ever watched.
Spicy pls
Hahaha :D Grey just posted your comment on Twitter! :D
I don't know about all that. Part 1 sounded like a CK2 desmesne management tutorial to me.
I fucking love Tropico
Reminds me I got it on steam for free.
my rules for rulers:
-must have increments of measurment
-must be accurate
-must be practically sized
Rules for rulers: make a set of rules, that's it.
Meanwhile in America:
The car is about 8 fridges away from our house.
Enclave Soldier all measurement is arbitrary
@@Number1tnfan683 Someone who gets it
-must be sturdy enough to whack your dying gold mine slaves
Im Austrian and failed art school but this inspired me to pursue politics in Germany
lmfao
Hitler is Austrian
Uh oh
Aw sh*t. Here we go again
lmao
In all honesty I just use these rules to make good rulers and villains for Dungeons and Dragons.
I am gonna probably use these rules in making my novel.
STUV101 I do the exact same
STUV101 why did I not think of this, thanks man.
solid!!
Killer idea. I'll have to try it out. Cheers.
Still your best video to date.
Yes. After years of political science classes, and watching this for like the tenth time, I still find myself astonished with the clarity of the analysis.
Time to clean my alps switches
Pretty much shows how the world works.
Indeed!
I still come back to this, and has really altered my perception about the problems in government and how insurmountable some of them are.
watching it again 6 years later and it still is the best explanation of politic rules ever.
Not just that, but its been true throughout age of time, even right now. Case-in-point, The president of Peru chose the path of Revolt->Fail->To Jail (see 15:40).
👑 of everything 👑
So you got the book the video is based on, right?
@@SuHwak Apparently we lived for thousands of years in a different system that broke these rules and everyone was happy and sustainable. They're not here anymore, of course. Ask any leftist anthropologist and they'll say that without giving any proof or examples.
"These rules apply to all, and explain their actions. From the CEO of the largest global conglomerate, who must keep his board happy, to the chair of the smallest homeowners' association, managing votes and spending membership fees. You cannot escape structures of power. You can only turn a blind eye to understanding them."
What they don't want us to realize is that structures of power, whether hierarchical or not, are artificial. Neither hierarchy nor egalitarianism are natural for humans; they are choices that we can make. When they say we can't escape hierarchies, the truth is that we can't escape them _without demolishing them._
"you can ignore reality, but you never be able to ignore the effects of you ignoring reality"
"Blinding yourself doesn't make the sun go away"
Rules for being a ruler
1) be made out of wood
2) have tick marks every inch/centimeter
3)be used for measuring
4)be rectangle
rules for being a ruler 2.0
1) metal, wood, plastic, I dont give a shit
2) metric only, no hamburger eagle gun marks per centimeter
3) be made to measure penis and penis only
you IMBECILE. Stainless steel, cork backed, 18 in rulers are far superior, and can be used to whack people as well as measure things incredibly accurately
*_-5) get broken-_*
If created in Asia:
6) used by parents to lecture their kids
I successfully started a coup and became a dictator after running for school president. Great video.
Do elaborate. I am deeply curious now.
We ned a full story. This sounds interesting.
This really sounds interesting
School Dictator.
I must say, congratulations
As a Russian, this was very educational. The "Democracy that relies on natural resources" model was scarily accurate in every aspect of it. What this means is that Russia is too rich to be rich, you know? Because there's so much oil, diamonds and metals here the government will never care about us as much as we would prefer it to. We'll always stay on the lowest living standards that a democracy can keep without breaking.
Are you referring to Russia as a democracy?
@@8panthermodern2 It is. It's not a flawless one, in fact it is pretty corrupt, but it is a democracy. Regional leaders are actually elected, and i suspect that there is actually a lot of support for the current ruling party among the people, considering they've pulled the country out of a horrible crisis back in the day.
Hate to break it to you, but you're under a dictatorship, not a democracy.
@i hate anime I guess you don't know what a dictatorship is
@i hate anime if you think that you can easily say that we all live under a democracy
WOW, this is the BEST explaination of how politics and a few other things work in this crazy world. Far Better explaination than I have gotten from ANY teacher ANYWHERE in my life. Thank You so much!
The best video i have ever seen on youtube!
A perfect example and warning is Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. He was a magnificent ruler who industrialized and educated Brazil, raised the quality of life for the whole nation in a nice long reign.
But ultimately was overthrown by industrialists and other elites because he didn't reward them enough.
His extreme popularity with the people wasn't enough, he lost the Keys.
He probably could have regained the Crown through civil war but he was exhausted after a long, laborious reign.
He said he didn't want to spill Brazilian blood. It likely would have succeeded quickly.
All I hear in your comment is that they successfully ruled for a long time before they were deposed.
I think it's that, and other examples, that water down what this video is teaching to an extent.
You can rule, and you can make great benevolent change. It means you won't rule forever, but is that actually what you want?
If you simply want to enact particular change, enact it, and retire.
@@usetheexplosives But when you leave, what's to stop the next from changing it back? You have to rule for long enough for your citizens to get used to the change, where its absence will be noticed enough to risk great protest/revolution. If you enact a change and leave before it settles, the next ruler won't have any trouble modifying it to fit his needs. And until then... well, you have to survive somehow right? Keep your keys happy.
@@usetheexplosives You're right that the rules for these are to stay in power, but remember a coup means the keys were promised more. And since the vault hasn't increased, the treasure which was being spent on the citizens is now going to go to the keys.
Hence, even when you make positive change, it's going to suffer if you're overthrown by someone via a coup (since a dictator has less keys)
Sim mano, aí foi ladeira à baixo
Love how the full-out dictators have AK-47s but the "middling" dictator is stuck with the cheaper SKS.
Cyka blyat comrade full-out dictators had extra support from glorious union
middling dictators could get the cheaper lower quality surplus from WWII
*sorry im trying to be a trashy tankie or something*
Haha, the 'middling dictator' may be a cheapskate.
@@Cybernaut551 that's why he's a middling dictator
CGP Grey: master of pacing, connoisseur of the dramatic pause
Every once in a while, I see something that makes the lightbulb above my head light up. Suddenly a concept not only makes sense, but becomes a link to other concepts, like a jigsaw puzzle that fits in the middle of a picture bringing it all together.
Thank you for this
Having read the book on which this is based, I must say that this video, in terms of clarity of information, far exceeds the actual text. The way the information is presented here is truly remarkable since it was able to extract the most meaningful ideas from the text and was able to clarify certain ambiguities in the book. Great job CGP Grey
Which book? 48 rules of power perhaps?
@@cr0n0slxiii54 Almost certainly the "Dictators Handbook" by Bueno de Mesquita et al. It's academic.
so what was the book?
sdriggers2 is correct. The Dictators Handbook by Bueno de Mesquita. An Amazon link to the book is in the video description.
"You can't eliminate those who don't vote for you."
*Challenge Accepted*
Hillary, is that you? ;)
@AJ Kelly dude you have a lot to learn about reading comprehension since I was agreeing with you.
Cough cough voter ID laws cough cough
Good luck
@AJ Kelly nothing like some casual anti-Semitism in RUclips comments amirite?
This really never stops being relevant, does it?
It won't ever not be
Ah a fellow Celeste fan. You're a woman of culture
Especially if you watch videos like this
maddy pfp huh? 194 golden strawbs here, how about you
until the end of humanity
It's scary how many people now a days don't realize this is how governments works. People always think that governments have the peoples bests interest in mind until they are well bad off that they can't ignore it.
CGP Grey is putting me down the path to either becoming a cruel dicator or a violent ararchist
Depending on the country you live in, I don't give hope to any. The army won't just let an anarchist movement spike up, that is not how you make money
This gets scarier when you consider the rise of automation. Our democracy is fueled by the productivity of our citizens, but what if the citizens are no longer needed?
Well better you on the throne than someone else
Companies are still productive automated or not, and they still need the citizens to buy their products. If the citizens still have power (money) being productive in other areas, they still fuel democracy.
Anarchism.
By that time citizens are nolonger citizens anymore, we are about going enter a world exactly like cyber-punk2077. Try join those big tech Corps, or killed by gangsters and die on the streets.
Well, then, common citizens get to live their lives without the looming anxieties of needing to subject yourself to long work weeks because you feel you aren't doing enough. (It really is not as healthy as you think it is.)
Maybe developing hobbies, they can then develop into a career they actually enjoy, they can potentially earn money from. People aren't lazy, they just don't want to work for big bad corporations.
And everything else such as making products will probably be taking care of by automation.
In the future
Dictator : I would like to thank this youtube channel called cgp Grey for teaching me how to win power
Edit: Wow 6k likes.... I'm famous, also thank you to Rise of Kingdoms for teaching me very important things about military doctrine such as a 5% buff at attack for [insert civilization here] which helped me in my conquests
CGP Grey: *gets promoted under them*
Just as planned.....
@@Hell_O7 you see this goes against the cgp video . They might hepl them take power but are no longer necessary so no reward and they go to gulag beacuse they are no longer useful to the dictator
@@muhammedmansoor3406 This is just a preview of a full online dictator course.
This is probably the Key he will remove.
I would like to thank CGP Grey for teaching me how to win power.
"And Angels who build good works will always lose to Devils who don't"
Damn bro..
Because there will always be an asshole who wants money for himself and not the greater good. Someone who value individual over society. Kinda like anti-masks "i dont care if i kill people by not wearing a mask, MY comfort is more important than THEIR lives ! "
@@kolkoki *pinochet noises*
@@alfredorotondo I am sorry as i do not know enough about him to understand what you are meaning
@@kolkoki As you are reading this comment, you are inhaling god only knows how many different viruses, bacteria, germs, infections, and god knows what else. Perhaps you are even inhaling Covid-19 right this very second.
While most of these are fairly harmless and in certain cases even beneficial, your body is under attack 24/7. The only way for you to stop these attacks outright is to live in a completely sealed and scrubbed environment. The masks being forced on everyone at large to 'protect the citizens' don't even qualify as such.
Biological sciences have proven that your immune system is very much like your muscles. If you fail to exercise them properly and also allow them adequate rest at times, they will fail you. The consequence of such failure of an immune system is your death.
Living in a 'clean' environment is just as deadly as living in filth. If you live in filth, your immune system is overtaxed and cannot keep up. If you live in a 'clean' environment, your immune system will atrophy and when the time comes, it will fail you.
Masks do nothing to help this process. At most they will help contain/prevent the spread depending on the state of the person on them. To a healthy person, they will contain nothing and they will prevent the immune system from learning how to fight an infection. Masks kill healthy populations. However the result is far different for those who are at-risk as it prevents a full on outbreak that a weakened immune system can't handle right away and contains those who ARE sick.
Your best defense against disease is your own build in biological defenses. If that fails, medicines are designed to bolster or otherwise assist this process until your body can adapt. Those that fail die. That's life. You can't save everyone. We are well beyond the point where masks do anybody good and it's time to let biology take over. Help those who are at-risk but at this point, it's up to those murder death machines the White Blood Cells.
@@graveyardshift6691 I've got something you can breathe, asshole.
A fantastic summary of such a complicated problem. I was also dumbfounded by how accurate the structure of power is in everyone's life no matter what
“You cannot escape structures of power, you can only turn a blind eye to understanding them.”
“Take the throne to act, and the throne acts upon you.”
Damn, that gave me some serious goosebumps Grey...
"Maybe you'll be different..."
I have lived through 2 Military Coups, 2 Revolutions and 1 democracy. After watching this video, now IT ALL MAKES SENSE..
Where do you live big fella
egypt im guessing?
Egypt yeah
things getting better?
@@antonyandrewson5803 apparently not :(
I learned more about politics and history in this video than my first 11 years in school.
Masses who know just enough knowledge to be productive professionals, but not enough to understand how society works. That's the sweet spot I guess.
Exactly, keeping the productivity of the citizens high which keeps the wealth generated that keeps society running while aslo keeping them ignorant about how power systems really work so as to be less able to effect meaningful changes to it for their benefit and much less able to hold their leaders and representatives accountable for their actions. It also helps if you keep the majority of the populace divided on stupid, miniscule things (like red vs blue but are basically the same) which diverts attention away from major problems that the leadership or representatives benefit from either not fixing or even making such issues worse for the citizenry.
That's giving WAY too much credit to the intelligence of the politicians. This video is a darkly beautiful fantasy for certain types of cynics, but don't treat it as the invariable truth.
@@stillwatersrundeep001 your giving too little credit to the people who control those politicians. Have you not watched the video? The politicians are not in control, they are constantly giving to the people around them, be it the many people in a democracy, or the few in a dictatorship.
@@stillwatersrundeep001 whether they are aware of it or not, the web that holds the flies still holds them in place.
It doesn’t matter if they know about the rules, they play by them or get replaced.
@@navilluscire2567 yeah, that's wjy it's a school and not a college, they're there to give you a job not get involved in politics, that's wehere universities and actually searching for doccuments in libraties are for
Your tone of voice for this video is what I can only describe as Neutrally Evil; you calmly lay out the reasoning and motives for political (in?)action with a benevolent maliciousness.
Which is, almost more than the content itself, terrifying. Excellent use of music to underscore it all.
This video is, to this day, one of the best videos ever made. Brilliant and eye-opening.
Ns K so true!
Fucking fantastic video. This is what RUclips was made for
You know it, buddy. Go watch House of Cards.
It's not as all-encompassing as he makes it out to be. The French Revolution was a glorious clusterfuck because it failed to consolidate power effectively. The army wasn't ineffectual at stopping the revolution and the deposition of King Louis because the powerful deemed it so. The powerful simply didn't have the raw "treasure" to sustain their society. So those suffering under the society crushed it.
From it rose a messed up idealistic hodge-podge of conflicting narratives that resulted in so much death, despair and destruction that the events of it are being felt today in 2019.
Although this theory does predict one thing though; the rise of Napoleon Boneparte who would be the man who formulated modern France.
If you believe what he says then you are stupid.. should read more books.
Rule 0 gives me chills. "Without power you can affect nothing"
It lead me on the rabbit hole to pursue magic.
Rule infinity.... With great power comes the great responsibility
@@Deepak-cu1mr Facts.
Rule 34: don't ask
@@Deepak-cu1mr with great power comes a great power bill
"The people only storm the palace when the soldiers let them.." That... aged well...
@@ShiningTitan ur not a chad...
@@ShiningTitan ah great. Someone comparing one jackass dying to the hundreds of unarmed people shot by police for peacefully marching.
So, what happened now?
I dont watch news very often.
@@ZargosK Probably in reference to the capitol building thing that happened in the states at the start of the year.
I think he meant that the people storming a palace and succeeding only happens if the soldiers let them.
This video should be part of every school curriculum. It’s a great way to understand the world.
But remember, democracy’s are still a for-profit business and therefore education and community are a danger to it. Proper US history and education on its structure are not a part of curriculum for a reason.
"Maybe, you'll be different" As the hat morphs to a dictator's hat.. message well sent
I always get a little chill at that part
And the cycle continues.
One of my favorite moments in the video
@@jeremyjackson8862 Right,because every revolunionary says that to themselves. Remember when Lenin wanted to be better than those "capitalist pigs" but ended up creating the TROPE CODIFIER for dictatorships?
this made me hate politics even more.
But i am a more informed citizen now which is more valuable.
Yeah, politics is not a likable subject, yet it affects your life, and you should care.
knerf999 one video doesn't make you an informed citizen actually do some more research on political science and reading history and current events and such is a way of becoming a informed citizen, while watching a well produced video is a good way of starting your research it is in no way comprehensive or complete.
tldr: read non-fiction books
it doesn't make me an informed citizen, but no matter how much i read about it i would never be an absolutely informed citizen.
But i am a marginally more informed citizen then i used to be.
Got some recommendations then?
no
it pays to be uninformed
It is not a pleasant thing to know, but definitely a necessary one to understand why they rarely help people or do it if it's within the interest of the group.
This is literally darker and more devious than even Machiavelli. In the Prince, Machiavelli talks about ruling with the lightest touch and avoiding bloodshed. This is straight up darker
Machiavelli advice is just commons sense
@@karlklaus2736 i am reading the prince and it says to rule a place it is better to be feared than loved which makes sense they are not a grandma the ruler needs to get things done
Karl Klaus
Not everything is common sense in the Prince, the chapters on how to hold a state you have gained by luck is not common sense, the chapter on mercenaries and auxiliaries is not common sense. What to do in conquered territory is not common sense.
i_am_hydraa Not everything is common sense in the Prince, the chapters on how to hold a state you have gained by luck is not common sense, the chapter on mercenaries and auxiliaries is not common sense. What to do in conquered territory is not common sense.
Karl Klaus
I suggest you also read his book, discourses on Livy. It is basically the Prince, but made towards a politician in a republic not a king.
I have only recently come across this channel and I want to commend CGP Grey. This is some of the most interesting, sometimes completely left field (Tiffany) content I have seen. He has devoted many hours of thorough research into each subject and it is presented with such intelligent humour. Well done.
"When approval ratings couldn't be lower but re-election rates couldn't be higher, then you'll know you succeeded."
That hits hard.
They don't have to like you, they just have to like you better than the alternative
Every 4 years when the US has another election I see this. Funny to watch from over here that no one is fighting for alternatives, just more of the same
Explain plz
That's just the raw, unfiltered, reality.
@@Jartran72 Elections happen more often than that. It's not just the presidency or Senate that matters.
Looking at Afghanistan through this lens produces a very different view from the common media narrative.
Once America left Ghani couldn't fund his key supporters and so they let the Taliban replace him. Some key supporters don't believe the Taliban can pay them enough either so they would back the northern alliance.
Furthermore, the moment the Taliban came to power, they culled most key supporters- particularly the police, law, transportation, healthcare, etc. Everything is now in the control of the Afghan army, whose members have either lost/died or joined the Taliban. This is why the Taliban took over the country with nearly no opposition.
The key resource in this case was American largesse. (Does anyone think those billions of dollars in military aid were actually going to the Afghan soldiers?) But when the US pulled out, Ghani's days were numbered.
Meanwhile, the Taliban are taking their cut of Afghanistan's opium trade, while making seductive eyes at Chinese mining interests.....
I love when people casually do what teachers beg of their students: apply the lesson outside of the classroom
@@CodaMission Then you will surely like some channels
i could maybe recommend.
Interested?
?
@@CodaMission Yeah. I saw this video and instantly started thinking about the Russian Revolution.
In my international relations class, in a section on how power is maintained, I quoted your video and referred to Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, and, lo amd behold, in the lectures, the professor in a video said "for this section, we'll be discussing the work of Bruce Bueno de Mesquita". I love when my passions line up like that
This channel reminds me of 'Oversimplified' and 'Hbomberguy'': Very educational BUT Fun.
This is so well made. It touches on so many topics without being drowned in so much detail about single one of them
"Corruption is not some kind of petty crime"
Me who lives in Brazil: True, its a kind of big crime that ruined my entire country
as is the main attraction
corruption is simply a tool to keep power
Pfft! You guys are amateurs at corruption.
Regards,
Argentina
@@ironcito1101 Venezuela: pathetic
Hey there! We're also amateurs but we'll soon be there with you. Greetings from Turkey.
Damn, I never realized that stick figures could be so expressive...
Watch some other videoes on the mind and all that stuff will start showing you that... Maybe, it's just our brains doing most of the work. We're making a nice story up for the flashing of stick figures coming and going one by one.
same
When you have 2k likes and 3 comments....
Check out Historia civilis. You'll marvel at how you come to care for a collection of squares and boxes.
ever heard of Animator vs. Animation by Alan Becker?
This isn’t dark, it’s just honest.
The two aren't opposites, it can be honest and dark at the same time
Being honest is dark, we live in a society
@@HeidenLam Go I'm so sick of this society around me.
@Je720 Republics fail because the people become lazy.
It isn't the whole truth. It's being relentlessly cynical for the sake of crafting a simple theoretical model, but it isn't backed up by a large chunk of history. The transition from dictatorships to democracies, for example.
I'd have to say... this is the best informative video on the internet
Yes
Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made. - Otto Von Bismark
He didn't say that, but it's better not to see quote attributions being made.
Fuchsia 'tude Who didn't what?
say that thing POSQ said he did
Fuchsia 'tude Good to see you giving legitimate backing for what you say. However, while the quote did not originate with Bismarck, that does not mean he never said it. It is entirely plausible that Bismarck used an obscure older quote, and people who had never heard it before just assumed he said it first. You should probably edit your original comment.
PhysiOSQuantum I
"No man rules alone." One of the sharpest double-edged swords ever.
"After the bird was shot, the fine bow is disused; after the hare was caught, the loyal dog is slaughtered."
- Old Chinese proverb
This will be problematic. After all if the dog know that catching hate will result in their death. They will stop hunting.
@@blugaledoh2669 if the dog refuses to run it will be cooked sooner wouldn't it
@@jeremywong4235 What if it bite you back?
@@blugaledoh2669 *vsauce theme*
鸟尽弓藏 兔死狗烹 :o
Grey mentions how taking the Moral High Road makes the game more difficult by giving leverage over your Keys to your rivals. That got me thinking. Is there any amount of sheer charisma or moral inspiration in your supporters that can overcome that temptation to backstab the ruler? Are there any notable historical examples of Key Supporters rejecting a better offer from a rival out of sheer loyalty to their current ruler or their cause?
It's a rule not a law.
Like he said, "Even if you have gathered the most loyal, angelic supporters, they have the same problem as you, just one level down."
"They too must watch out for rivals from below or above: thus the treasure they get must also be spent to maintain their position."
There is one. Maybe the only one Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. But it comes from pure loyalty from military and people to a war hero . So it is a bit cheating.
@@anatar2518 I don't think it's cheating at all; it is a valid criteria. If becoming a war hero is what it takes to max out your charisma stat then so be it.
Spend enough treasure on the ruled (or simply convince enough of the population that you are) and you can make the ruled unruly if you are deposed. What I think the video gets 'wrong' that even in dictatorships you still need enough support from the populous. To a degree the ruled population is still a key. Guns, armor, fortification, organization and stuff are all force multipliers and a military utterly divorced from the populous is hard to foster even with a caste system, at some point a population willing to potentially die for freedom can overcome a military. JC got stabbed to death because (and other reasons) he was trying to use this fact to get around needing the keys of the senate.
"The people only storm the palace when the army let's them"
Funny that
A it was totally a coup when they didn’t try to hold it or make demands.
@@DrOfficedog Doesn't matter what it was, they're terrorists either way.
@@bradenallen1241 they’re only terrorists because they entered government property/Support the President. In the 60s an armed radical terrorist group stormed the capital, made demands and nothing happened to them. Those terrorists were Black Panthers.
V for vendetta: Yep ima write that down
@@DrOfficedog what day was that? I'll look that up in my history books oh wait it's a lie.
There are only two constants I see here:
Death and taxes
Monaco joined the chat
😂😂😂
Taxes are not constant. They're not a guarantee if we realize the illegitimacy of them and the opportunity of voluntary cooperation.
Taxes exist only so long as people, death as long as there is life
@@TheSkullConference voluntary cooperation... Among humans... So, never right?
Started a coup in a server, became vice dictator then went and assasinated the main dictator
How does one access these discord servers of such interesting politics?
@@thedirector9871 yes but how can I find a server to spread my political agenda in?
@@thedirector9871 cool I will use the ghost of comrade Stalin to make a better society
@@daseapickleofjustice7231 potato
@@thedirector9871 That sounds epic
That last bit was absolutely true. Some of the most insidious kinds of corruption perhaps not the worst, but the most common place are in municipal, and local politics. Somebody who gets elected mayor, and institutes a project that repairs the roads, who conveniently has that project start on their Street, it's far too commonplace, and far too accepted.
Well, THAT was depressing...
@Matthew Morycinski you cannot use the word compromise in Dictatorship system.
@@woofiegoofie tell that to Beria
@@wtfbros5110 At first I don't know him but ugh he's awful.
@@woofiegoofieyeah he's almost as bad as Himmler, which is ironic since he wants detente with the west and a united neutral germany
It get's worse. What happens when human labor is made obsolete by AI and robots? The elites purge the plebs to protect their position of power in accrodence with the second law.
You know the phrase:
"You either die as a hero or live long enough to watch yourself become a villain."?
This video fits perfectly.
Maximilian Robespierre and those kings in the bible
Or you can be merciless and destroy every single opponent who is in it for their own profit. Then you, albeit being a villain from purely moral perspective, still remain a hero, the common interest remaining as foundation of your rule.
@@Hr1s7i and who is going to do the destroying for you?
You cant do it on your own. Nobody rules alone.
No matter your goal or what you do you need others to accomplish stuff. Your keys.
There is no escape
@@Destroyer120296 Choose keys who are not greedy ass hats. It's that easy, and that hard at the same time.
@@Hr1s7i and those keys have to manage their own keys lest they get kicked out themselves. The chain of power goes all the way down, and it’s impossible to get non-greedy or at least not self interested people for every position every step of the way.
"Take the throne to act and the throne acts upon you", couldn't be more true
One of the greatest videos on RUclips!
I just realized that an election is a gentle coup
And that the sentence « the keys needed to gain power aren’t the same as those needed to keep it. » is still relevant
The real reason of democracy is that it assures a bloodless transition of power. So yes.
The founding fathers and the enlighten area philosophers were not hippies dreaming of rainbow and unicorns, but people who proposed ways of governing that were the best for most people despite greed and corruption of the average human.
@@pietristephane3537 I hate to break it to you, but nothing **assures** a bloodless transition of power. If enough shitty stuff happens in a row it doesn't matter what system you live under, you're gonna have problems.
@@bca_4321 I "hate to break it to you" but in most democracies most of the time the transition of power is bloodless, even between different factions.... just look at an history book. Which other system of government allows a departing faction to handle the power to their opposition without violence or threat of?
I "hate to break it to you" that being pedantic makes you sound ignorant more than anything.
And I "hate to break it to you" that in general we speak in normal circumstance, you know cause I could go to make the statement to someone who says "water makes wet" : "I hate to break it to you but if enough work is made on the surface, water does not make wet".....
I would propose a new pseudo for you: mister pedantic a... ha....
Not exactly the real reason for democracy, but a very convincing argument for it.
In a monarchy or similar hierarchies, you need to actually battle the government in order to replace it. Wars are destructive and risks destroying the infrastructure that are sources of revenue for the country.
Not so in democracies where the government can be replaced in an election. Sure, the incumbents may be tempted to suspend the laws to keep themselves in power but that risks destroying the very lucrative infrastructures in a democracy and so are discouraged from initiating a civil war. Besides, they can just try again in the next election.
Of course, an idiot who initiates a civil war in a democracy anyway will soon find his/her coffers empty and his key supporters giving him the cold shoulder.
*Is there no winning for the lower classes, will the higher classes always be scummy? It’s actually not as hopeless as people are saying it is. Like the video mentioned the system is like a house of cards. If the people want to overthrow all the bad people, and get decent treatment from the new higher ups, we have to start at the bottom and replace the lowest keys with a lot more moral people that won’t support the bad guys. It’s an uphill battle but it’s entirely possible! Everyone just needs to be aware of this fact.*
This is one of the most insightful, depressing, and motivating videos I've seen in some time.
Instructions unclear, accidentally reuinited the Russian Empire and became the Tsar
Long Live the Tsar!!!
oopsieee
hey bro nice pfp
Actually taking power is easier than keeping power
Now bombrush Europe
15 years of spending time on this website and this video just so happens to take the top spot on my favourite videos.
when you realize there are no such things as corrupt politicians, but they are just politicians
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Open to question, but it is a fair point... :/
That's not even remotely true at all.
+benblue3
You're right, there are non-corrupt politicians. They just don't stick around for very long because of the points presented here.
benblue3 what's not remotely true?
18:03 The ruler turns into a dictator as the screen fades to black, beautiful.
Didn't even catch that...
And winks.
ikr?
looking for this comment
and also the music turns from a major into a minor key. great catch
Because everyone always says, "when I'm in charge, I'll be different!" When in reality you'll be just as corrupt and amoral as every ruler before you. There are very few exceptions in history.
“but surely you on the throne will be better than someone else; and who knows maybe you will be different” (image changes from benevolent representative to dictator who winks at you). Awesome ending couldn’t have been more perfect.
Frank Delgrosso totally true!!!
"To know what is man true nature, dont see him in his suffering. See him when he holds power"- Abraham Lincoln
I watched the Cortex podcast video about this and I have to say I'm really glad you made this despite it being a harder one for you to make. It's one of my favorite videos of yours. This kind of structure to power is one of those things that's there and maybe apparent to a lot of people but seems like no one discusses directly but is important to
You're the only channel I've clicked the bell for.
I appreciate the careful, objective way you go through these topics. You never go after any political affiliation, or any specific figurehead. You simply state facts and allow us to cone to our own conclusion. It's phenomenal in this day and age.
I appreciate it. Thank you for all your hard work.
This video is flowing so smoothly. It is a well design, logical explanation on the generic way any power structure exist. It apply to countries, companies and families. You want to be promoted to manager? Learn the politic of your environment.
Christian Gingras agreed
I love how the stick figures in this video are being paid with Bitcoin
El Salvador
maybe it's "banana money" because it comes from bananas?
All leaders use Bitcoin. Its just facts. This whole video is facts
This is probably the best overview of basic politics video ever made. Excelent work.
1. Be completely straight
2. Make sure the increments are of equal length
3. Make sure there is space between the ruler's edge and the zero mark
You'd make a fine ruler, I imagine. :)
I'm not sold on Rule 3. I once had a ruler that started at 0. I liked it.
Joe Mansley
Wear and tear may have eaten at that edge. Zero error could have been introduced.
That's called a rule, not a ruler.
Depends where you live. It's called a ruler in the UK.
Stalins solution: refresh those keys every other week.
Sixteen times the power....it just works
I mean yeah why would you need to pay your keys if you can just kill them every week and focus on your people
You complain?
You dont like the money i give you?
You demand more money or you overthrown me?
Alright then *gun bullet sound*
But if he killed them on a regular basis to be replaced wouldn’t the people who would become keys eventually catch on and stop trying to become the keys?
@@kramarancko1107 but the keys were living better lives than the peasants. Rather live better for a week than die a sad death after ur sad life. Also they were gambling on the chances that they would survive.
If they remain loyal, they're safe. Many Stalin's subordinates worked with him for a very long time, some during all his rule even.
0th Rule: Without power, you can affect nothing.
1st Rule: Keep the key supporters on your side.
2nd Rule: Control the treasure.
3rd Rule: Minimize key supporters.
Thanks
4: don't fight a land war is Asia
@@onlinealiasuk except, if you are,...The Mongols
@@Leonlion0305 New 4th: Don't Fight a sea war in Asia
@@onlinealiasuk 5: Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.
Don't mind me, just re-watching to refresh my memory due to current events.
1. Measure in cm and inches
2. Be transparent.
3. Be portable and safe to use
then: 1. Measure in bananas
Top meme m9
Beautiful!
Discriminating against wooden and metal rulers :(
People always say they want the second rule to apply to the other kind of rulers - but what possible pitfalls could there be to the people getting their wish? I wonder.
is this a tropico play guide?
EL Presidente 101
Nah man its CK2
The video made me think of the game a lot actually
Its TheoTown.
Where is my island!!!!
Gotta love a good depressing video to destroy my faith in our political system first thing in the morning
our you mean on this fucking planet?
delpher32exe
Our as a general umbrella term for the human race so yes
There are exceptions to this like the 1945 labour government in britain which never got in off the backs of rich people but instead from the people.
Alex A another exception is the state of Colorado legalized marijuana through referendum and legally bypassed the state congress that was against it at the time. Sometimes a lot of common folk getting together can make a difference ;)
But legalizing marijuana increase the (tax) treasury that allows them to do projects and build stuff that makes key supporters happy.
I think it was Ambrose Bierce who said, "An absolute ruler is onw who rules as he pleases so long as he pleases the assasins."
I remember when I first watched this video and it created a real "Aha moment", while today that's just become so obvious to me that I'm almost genuinely surprised I didn't always know it. That's the brilliance of genuine insights: once you know them, it just becomes "duh"
The problem is that what people decide has some power over other, in democracy violenece through the state is validated, so if 90% of people want to make it legal to kill the other 10%, when someone else likes shitty music, or a shitty film or shitty shoes you don't care because they are free to like that and you are not affected by that, democracy is the mass apressing the rest, forcing them to follow their beliefs.
@@novkorova2774 Well, yes that's why we don't let people vote on those things. We have autocratic human rights committees e.t.c that everyone just agrees on being necessary. Not to mention you have political representives and not actual direct democracy.
@@marknaughton "Everyone just agrees on being necessary, and if you don't agree, then we agree you"
@@novkorova2774 my dad always said "democracy is a glorified lynch mob"
@@novkorova2774 I've heard it called "Tyranny of the Majority." Depending on the system, 51% of the people can make decisions/laws that hurt the other 49%.
8.2 million views. I didn’t know there were gonna be that many future dictators
I’m just running for state legislature in the US. I don’t really seek anything beyond state senator. It’s pretty good information.
@@BrodyMulligan whens the election?
Dude, it's happening right in front of you.
I watched it seven times already
Considering how many "seats of power" there are in Microsoft or Google or Amazon alone... you should have known.
"You can't eliminate those who don't vote for you."
*Laughs in Stalin*
*laughs in communism*
*laughs in clinton*
@@PerryP8458 NO!! DONT DO THAT!!! YOUR GONNA START AN ARGUMENT!
@@macaroon_nuggets8008 I had to do it
Isaac Roland *laughs in parenthood*
The keys to power can be applied to pretty much everything. I watched this video 5yrs ago and ever since I saw it, I'm always looking for the HMFIC's keys. Thanks for the eye opener.
I thought that Rule 0 was: "Keep the army happy.""
Carlos Rios Military Industrial Complex, always worth learning about.
that's the main rule - have the power
The army is merely another Key supporter. A very important one, sure, but nothing more.
abschussrampe
no, it is the key key supporter
can't pay the army without the bureaucrats
Consider the "Rules for Rulers" dynamics with the impending "Humans need not apply". Suddenly the majority of the population is no longer capable of producing wealth and dictatorships start to emerge everywhere.
Which is why universal gun ownership is important. Owning a military weapon is the individual's "key".
Now that's interesting. Under this context, the individual loses all power unless he/she owns a weapon.
And that's why that part of the US is great. But only that part.
Irvel N this implies people wants power above all, which under the current zeitgeist certainly seems to be the case. Therefore, if we can shift from this zeitgeist to a new one, more aligned to the technological developments we have before us, then maybe we can do without those 'keys' in our society.
HekkVerk The new Zeitgeist being consume. The ideal citizen would thus be a heroine addict.
Lol at all the idiots in the comments going "THIS PERFECTLY DESCRIBES WHY MY POLITICAL OPPONENTS ARE SO EVIL", not realizing the whole point of the video is that it applies to every leader regardless of their ideology.
This guy gets it
*THE THRONE ACTS UPON YOU! DAMMIT!*
To be fair, there are some asshats more willing to hold power using this system than most. Yes the throne acts on you, but you can't deny a lot of people spend way more time helping their keys and donors than the people, despite other people in their exact same position doing more for the people while remaining in office just as long. There's a certain willingness to side with bastards over the people that certain people have. Nice thing about a democracy is, you can theoretically focus on making sure as many people under your "rule" are happy as you can. Yet a lot of politicians seem to run to big oil, pharma, private prisons, military contractors, foreign governments, etc.
So, I can't totally blame people for missing the point since this structure did help them understand better why people give money and power to special interest groups, but yeah, they missed the point. If the system were making everyone as bad as their political opponents, assuming they truly are that bad, then democracy is inherently going to fuck them. I don't believe that's true, electoral college notwithstanding. They're bastards because they ran towards power in the way this video described, rather than trying to maintain enough power to get elected, and then do the right thing. And because, their special interest groups don't care about most people.
Or at least that's how I view things, and my view of this is colored. Doesn't take a doctorate to know what political leaning I'm coming at this from.
What if you outlaw paying keys to power though so flat taxes no lobbying no subsidies ect in this case the only voting block that would be able to be influenced would be the general public because it would be illegal to reward any specific voting block or key to power
@@subscribetomefornoreason7294 how would people catch a dictator rewarding keys? Not all actions happen out where people can see, you know.