Various speculations about Putin's vulnerability to being unseated are advanced - it really is an impossible thing to come to any conclusion about - the most I have seen is the view that, when it happens, Russian dictators are toppled in circumstances few would predict. Lots of comment, though, that Putin is "finished" - but that could be a matter of time (and all things come to an end,eventually, anyway).
I found this Radio 4 programme a rather depressing listen. It does, however, put what is known into focus:
I found this Radio 4 programme a rather depressing listen. It does, however, put what is known into focus:
Analysis - The Dictator's Survival Guide
How do dictators and authoritarians stay in power? James Tilley, a professor of politics at Oxford University, finds out what's in the dictators' survival guide. How do they control ordinary people and stop revolts? How do they stop rivals from taking over? And how do they manipulate apparently democratic procedures like elections - such as the notoriously fraudulent 2004 vote in Ukraine - to secure their rule? This is another chance to hear a programme, originally broadcast in 2018, that has acquired new relevance.
How do dictators and authoritarians stay in power? James Tilley, a professor of politics at Oxford University, finds out what's in the dictators' survival guide. How do they control ordinary people and stop revolts? How do they stop rivals from taking over? And how do they manipulate apparently democratic procedures like elections - such as the notoriously fraudulent 2004 vote in Ukraine - to secure their rule? This is another chance to hear a programme, originally broadcast in 2018, that has acquired new relevance.
Comment