How the Dictator's Obsession with Manufacturing Loyalty Ensures His Own Downfall

This manufactured narrative serves a crucial, dual purpose: it aims to persuade the persuadable and to intimidate the skeptical. For those citizens already inclined to support the regime, or those whose lives improve under its tenure, propaganda solidifies their belief, turning passive acceptance into active, vocal loyalty. For the potential dissident, the ubiquitous display of unity and the leader's supposed popularity acts as a powerful deterrent. It creates the illusion of a monolithic public opinion, leading individuals to fear that they are alone in their dissent, thereby resolving the coordination problem that is essential for any successful revolution.