Tuesday 22 February 2011

Gaddafi heads for stage 3

I see that Col Gaddafi is now between stages 2 and 3 in the Dictator's Downfall model.
Stage 1 says "It may have happened in Tunisia but it won't happen here. My people love me too much / they're too scared of me / I'm the Father of the nation".
Stage 2 is "How can they do this to me? I shall crush them". This is accompanied by sending the troops out on the streets. In severe cases you get your armed forces to shoot anti-aircraft missiles at unarmed civilians, thus combining evil-beggarness with extravagant impracticality.
At Stage 3, you start to offer reforms. Then you say OK, you'll leave but not just yet. This was the strategy employed with such success by Gordon Brown until they finally prised his fingernails from the doorframe at No 10.
Stage 4 is where normal people would go into depression. But in evil dictator circles, this is replaced by the "squirrelling away your money" phase.
Stage 5 can go one of two ways. Either you get away before they hang you, or you don't.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've some trouble-makers of my own to deal with. I can't believe that they're serious, after all the work I've put into making this a place of spiritual fulfilment and refreshment. I kicked Drayton Parslow in the shins earlier, but they're still moaning at me.  Still, I'm going to hold new elections to the Druidic Synod as soon as possible - which will be in the summer, once the Referendum's over and everyone's calmed down.

1 comment :

  1. Brilliant, incisive.

    I'll remember this when the time comes for me to leave my current pastoral placement.

    Which is Not Yet.

    ReplyDelete

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