Human beings, which can only thrive in social groups, have a fundamental need for approval by their community. The threat of being thrown out of your group, because it disapproves of something you said or did usually leads to you apologising and backing down to ensure that your membership continues. Ostracism is woeful, as Ovid in exile found out.
Why do Authoritarian states and dictatorships hold elections and referendums, even when they have no intention of releasing their grip on power? Why do they bother? The answer is because, it is a way of showing to their Social group, which is other nations and their own people, that they are justified in their behaviour and policies. It maintains the delusion that they are democratic and acting correctly, so are immune from criticism and should continue in power. They too, don’t want to be thrown out of the international group .
So rigged elections continue around the world, even though the results are predetermined, in Hong Kong, China, Belarus, Russian occupied Ukraine. Social acceptance is essential, regardless of the voters point of view.
Putin craves social acceptance and this explains why he writes to North Korea (a minor poor country), sends his second in command on tour to African Countries (to justify his actions), craves the friendship of China (who‘s system he is copies), allows grain shipments from Ukraine (which was making him unpopular in neutral countries), permits UN inspection of a Nuclear plant in a War Zone, (he would be blamed for any nuclear disaster) and wants history to remember him as Peter the Great (social acceptance forever).
Even China, craves acceptance and respect from the world, it wants it’s political system to be recognised world wide as the best. it’s a shame that currently, it wants to demonstrate this by military force. If China really did have the greatest political system, countries like Taiwan would be queuing up to be it’s friend, given the size of its market.
A while ago I asked “How do you stop a tyrant who points a gun in your face?”
The answer, is for all your numerous friends to bravely stand beside you and shame the tyrant into standing down. Deny the tyrant social acceptance.
In the same way it is vitally important that the World, which includes Countries, Companies, Organisations, Oligarchs, people, you, me, everyone, to continue to stand together and shout clearly and loudly “No, this is not acceptable, stop or be forever be excluded”.
So do whatever you can, write, email, tweet, donate, lobby, demonstrate, support etc etc DENY SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE.
The alternative is for the shooting to escalate.
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An example from history would be the English Tyrant King John, who was brought under control when most of the English barons ganged up on him and forced the signing of the Magna Carta. His social group rejected his lawlessness and taxes. Perhaps the Russian Oligarchs or army could do us all a favour and get Putin under control and make him sign a Russian equivalent!
