The Rules for Rulers

[@CGPGrey]

Making this video caused me to need a new office… and to terrorize my neighbor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/emOkfnWXm7ylZpo

[@louischo2701]

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.

[@milosminion]

Louis Cho you lost me at "be straight"

[@Coyoteari]

Louis Cho I failed step 1

[@scorpionmccormack2093]

Louis Cho so don't be gay, American or fat

[@alwinpriven2400]

pretty good rules for being a ruler.

[@PatrickAllenNL]

Whats a centimeter???

[@fruity4820]

"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

[@knightshousegames]

It just goes to show the democracies of today are slipping further away from democracy.

[@Loromir17]

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.

[@jiangciyang3860]

more aligned than dictatorship, but still not enough

[@angelcakes5151]

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

[@knightshousegames]

@@angelcakes5151 So this is how Humans Need Not Apply comes to pass.......in a more dystopian way than we even imagined initially.

[@bakedbeans2163]

Grey, you've inspired me to become a dictator. Thank you.

[@brendansunra]

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.

[@bakedbeans2163]

@@brendansunra Absolutely. But before I appoint you, how can I be certain that you won’t topple me if times get rough?

[@brendansunra]

@@bakedbeans2163 Well, if times get tough because you're making bonehead decisions you can't be certain I won't.

[@rifz42]

@@brendansunra Can I be one of your keys, if BakedBeans screws up?

[@brendansunra]

@@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

[@mohammadkhazaee9818]

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

[@dendrogenhs]

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...

[@nothing9260]

Rule -1: Keep the Army happy

[@SirNobleIZH]

Rule 34: do not search for porn of yourself once you gain power

[@mohammadkhazaee9818]

@@SirNobleIZH 🤣

[@kevinsabellico7608]

I thought Rule 0 was keep the army happy

[@BRUN1SOUL]

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.

[@tegan1802]

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."

[@adhithyap.9441]

@@tegan1802 ooh dramatic. this should be in a novel

[@LK_tutturu]

@@tegan1802 the original is already a clear warning, dense, short and sweet. You make it longer with unnecessary words.

[@tegan1802]

@@LK_tutturu Sure - the extra words are unnecessary to get the point across, but which is more dramatic?

[@LK_tutturu]

@@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.

[@NathanS__]

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.

[@vaclavjebavy5118]

He said he didn't want to spill Brazilian blood. It likely would have succeeded quickly.

[@usetheexplosives]

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.

[@alzhanvoid]

@@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.

[@stansman5461]

@@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)

[@josevitorag]

Sim mano, aí foi ladeira à baixo

[@geluk_425]

“When approval ratings couldn’t be lower, yet re-election rates couldn’t be higher, youll know you’ve succeeded” yikes

[@masac2853]

Cough putin cough

[@JoelLundqvist98]

@@masac2853 Cough, Cough, US Politics.

[@aturchomicz821]

@@JoelLundqvist98 ok?

[@JoelLundqvist98]

@@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.

[@TechnoMinarchist]

@@JoelLundqvist98 This is because a large number of people believe the presidency is the only vote that matters. They're fools.

[@acolotlgames]

Im Austrian and failed art school but this inspired me to pursue politics in Germany

[@inanis6707]

lmfao

[@aureovedma]

Hitler is Austrian

[@kalanitovela1468]

Uh oh

[@kalanitovela1468]

Aw sh*t. Here we go again

[@spooky4124]

lmao

[@Nugcon]

I successfully started a coup and became a dictator after running for school president. Great video.

[@talsubach5979]

Do elaborate. I am deeply curious now.

[@scottishbananaclan]

We ned a full story. This sounds interesting.

[@thiviyansaravanamuthu4395]

This really sounds interesting

[@conception.5317]

School Dictator.

[@ashfromheaven_]

I must say, congratulations

[@some1337dude1]

This feels like a tyrant who's been overthrown giving advice and turn-over to the rebel commander.

[@tlhm7102]

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

[@edwinhuang9244]

@@tlhm7102 You forgot the "ruler's hat morphs into dictator's hat"

[@element1192]

Or rather, his son, as in the case of Prince Souphanouvong

[@_ee75]

@@tlhm7102 that's why we love grey, he can be so ominous and mysterious at times

[@medical-cyanide1526]

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.

[@STUV101]

In all honesty I just use these rules to make good rulers and villains for Dungeons and Dragons.

[@kingslushie1018]

I am gonna probably use these rules in making my novel.

[@zzzzaaaa9966]

STUV101 I do the exact same

[@anh-san]

STUV101 why did I not think of this, thanks man.

[@i-love-comountains3850]

solid!!

[@makse10]

Killer idea. I'll have to try it out. Cheers.

[@fulluf]

watching it again 6 years later and it still is the best explanation of politic rules ever.

[@SuHwak]

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).

[@robertruschak7083]

👑 of everything 👑

[@jamaalfridge]

So you got the book the video is based on, right?

[@sirrebelpaulc3439]

@@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.

[@ti2218]

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.

[@alzhanvoid]

You can always make this a presentation.

[@ti2218]

@@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.

[@amiable97]

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.

[@ralphscopo738]

I actually did watch this video in one of my classes

[@adhithyap.9441]

@@ti2218 same. I really wish they showed this to everyone, including me in my earlier schooling years.

[@AmrSaleh]

I have lived through 2 Military Coups, 2 Revolutions and 1 democracy. After watching this video, now IT ALL MAKES SENSE..

[@YungBoiEscobar]

Where do you live big fella

[@antonyandrewson5803]

egypt im guessing?

[@AmrSaleh]

Egypt yeah

[@antonyandrewson5803]

things getting better?

[@ROTALOT]

@@antonyandrewson5803 apparently not :(

[@leesnotbritish5386]

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

[@urbanfrog]

Same, view this video when it came out, and it really shaped who i am today

[@Hohhot]

Screw only the US, make the whole world watch this

[@missously2088]

Reminds me of the ongoing protests in Iran right now.

[@Stierenkloot]

It is in my top three videos on KZbin and I can’t think of what the other two are right now. I always think of this one though.

[@andrewconti2993]

If I could force everyone to watch one, it would be the ranked choice voting one.

[@bquimby5223]

"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."

[@LeBonkJordan]

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._

[@dinamosflams]

"you can ignore reality, but you never be able to ignore the effects of you ignoring reality"

[@kasamigi8031]

"Blinding yourself doesn't make the sun go away"

[@EdgyShooter]

I know the banana represents food, but I like the idea that all dictators have one key guy who demands bananas

[@beausheffield1895]

EdgyShooter Ba-nan-a

[@blade0xb]

I think its a nod to the banana republic

[@sercan7272]

Fucking Chiquita

[@thegamingnerd7526]

4:38 Your welcome

[@johnnyprencipe696]

also to represent a banana republic

[@hkayakh]

Rules for being a ruler 1) be made out of wood 2) have tick marks every inch/centimeter 3)be used for measuring

[@hkayakh]

4)be rectangle

[@royisdabest]

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

[@shikderarfan6596]

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

[@hkayakh]

*_-5) get broken-_*

[@XCHDragox115]

If created in Asia: 6) used by parents to lecture their kids

[@TheFarCobra]

4 years later and still the most important video on the internet.

[@murilo2330]

power is eternal, therefore, stuff explaining about power is also eternal.

[@reeeeeeeeeeeeeeman6757]

Wait this was 4 years ago

[@TheFarCobra]

@@murilo2330 Well put.

[@drabberfrog]

I agree

[@JalalShahoud]

I mean really can this ever go irrelevant? Please?

[@shigotaichikuchi5924]

"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

[@lred1383]

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]

Are you referring to Russia as a democracy?

[@lred1383]

@@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.

[@happyfacefries]

Hate to break it to you, but you're under a dictatorship, not a democracy.

[@happyfacefries]

@i hate anime I guess you don't know what a dictatorship is

[@harrisonbarrett2635]

@i hate anime if you think that you can easily say that we all live under a democracy

[@randomstuffc.j.o1408]

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]

CGP Grey: *gets promoted under them* Just as planned.....

[@muhammedmansoor3406]

@@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

[@ltpetrenko]

@@muhammedmansoor3406 This is just a preview of a full online dictator course.

[@magatism]

This is probably the Key he will remove.

[@kevinslattery5748]

I would like to thank CGP Grey for teaching me how to win power.

[@13lackout360]

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?

[@ypsawbones3646]

Well better you on the throne than someone else

[@animax2422]

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.

[@cakeisyummy5755]

Anarchism.

[@GarrettRen]

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.

[@octavianjoseph8633]

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.

[@paulaneary7877]

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!

[@remembergandhi5583]

The best video i have ever seen on youtube!

[@thedocblock6421]

Instructions unclear, became a key smith

[@DreadBirate]

Same

[@maulwurf9414]

Same

[@brickbybrick7432]

The Doc Block LockPickingLawyer would be proud

[@vladdigby165]

LOL

[@asfrmaster2011]

LOL damn that's a funny reply

[@endothegreatthief4432]

This really never stops being relevant, does it?

[@littlewhizard723]

It won't ever not be

[@Doctor-Infinite]

Ah a fellow Celeste fan. You're a woman of culture Especially if you watch videos like this

[@user-bg6xh7vv7t]

maddy pfp huh? 194 golden strawbs here, how about you

[@NeostormXLMAX]

until the end of humanity

[@matthewnewhouse4634]

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.

[@SpicyChickenGodAJ]

This is the best Tropico tutorial I've ever watched.

[@comeonandslamandwelcometot2418]

Spicy pls

[@SilverWave64]

Hahaha :D Grey just posted your comment on Twitter! :D

[@AzraelNewtype0079]

I don't know about all that. Part 1 sounded like a CK2 desmesne management tutorial to me.

[@redswift31]

I fucking love Tropico

[@dawidkiller]

Reminds me I got it on steam for free.

[@kroegerfamily8371]

CGP Grey is putting me down the path to either becoming a cruel dicator or a violent ararchist

[@su1t0n11]

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

[@Chyrosran22]

Still your best video to date.

[@frantiseknovotny9315]

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.

[@Lavi-Aemilia-Astori]

Time to clean my alps switches

[@ahoymateeez]

Pretty much shows how the world works.

[@MrSirKirby]

Indeed!

[@julolidine]

I still come back to this, and has really altered my perception about the problems in government and how insurmountable some of them are.

[@DarkSalt-66]

Rule 0 gives me chills. "Without power you can affect nothing"

[@evannibbe9375]

It lead me on the rabbit hole to pursue magic.

[@Deepak-cu1mr]

Rule infinity.... With great power comes the great responsibility

[@Cybernaut551]

@@Deepak-cu1mr Facts.

[@minorcomet282]

Rule 34: don't ask

[@Georges_IV]

@@Deepak-cu1mr with great power comes a great power bill

[@PhysiOSQuantum]

Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made. - Otto Von Bismark

[@Fuchsia_tude]

He didn't say that, but it's better not to see quote attributions being made.

[@gayvideos3808]

Fuchsia 'tude Who didn't what?

[@Fuchsia_tude]

say that thing POSQ said he did

[@chrisschoenthaler5184]

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.

[@takref1]

PhysiOSQuantum I

[@andywest6768]

Thanks! I bought the Dictator's Handbook after watching this, and found it instructive.

[@CGPGrey]

Instructive? 😬

[@tendergnat]

"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

[@horpuscorpus8299]

as is the main attraction

[@icyify]

corruption is simply a tool to keep power

[@ironcito1101]

Pfft! You guys are amateurs at corruption. Regards, Argentina

[@javieralejandrotrianapaz6343]

@@ironcito1101 Venezuela: pathetic

[@samilkafa3763]

Hey there! We're also amateurs but we'll soon be there with you. Greetings from Turkey.

[@cksoup]

my rules for rulers: -must have increments of measurment -must be accurate -must be practically sized

[@charlesfraunhofer7893]

Rules for rulers: make a set of rules, that's it.

[@itssillysam26]

Meanwhile in America: The car is about 8 fridges away from our house.

[@Number1tnfan683]

Enclave Soldier all measurement is arbitrary

[@adferxis]

@@Number1tnfan683 Someone who gets it

[@chinezerebel9443]

-must be sturdy enough to whack your dying gold mine slaves

[@sarahgraves6759]

"... And who knows, maybe you'll be different." Good last line, mate.

[@TrollSlayerLogan]

Adolf and Pinochet's worst crime was being different

[@notsojharedtroll23]

@@TrollSlayerLogan xd

[@Karl_der_Genosse]

@@TrollSlayerLogan I'd rather say the holocaust and throwing people out of helicopters were their crimes mate

[@Karl_der_Genosse]

@@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

[@TrollSlayerLogan]

@@Karl_der_Genosse Is it the same Germany under Merkel? Place looks more divided than Bosnia

[@Randoman590]

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?

[@Mark_badas]

It's a rule not a law.

[@lilyabatliwala6789]

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."

[@anatar2518]

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.

[@joshskier]

@@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.

[@Aaronlune]

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.

[@CA-bw9vw]

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.

[@navilluscire2567]

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.

[@stillwatersrundeep001]

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.

[@actuallyjustanapple]

@@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.

[@thedeviantguy]

@@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.

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

@@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

[@thomasrobinson5679]

"The people only storm the palace when the soldiers let them.." That... aged well...

[@Joerje]

@@ShiningTitan ur not a chad...

[@blackgemstone801]

@@ShiningTitan ah great. Someone comparing one jackass dying to the hundreds of unarmed people shot by police for peacefully marching.

[@maximocaseres2526]

So, what happened now? I dont watch news very often.

[@AlphaGarg]

@@maximocaseres2526 Probably in reference to the capitol building thing that happened in the states at the start of the year.

[@VenikHue]

I think he meant that the people storming a palace and succeeding only happens if the soldiers let them.

[@realfangplays]

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.

[@mrcat6433]

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.

[@ursusarctos0]

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.....

[@CodaMission]

I love when people casually do what teachers beg of their students: apply the lesson outside of the classroom

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@CodaMission Then you will surely like some channels i could maybe recommend. Interested? ?

[@agent_sus3273]

@@CodaMission Yeah. I saw this video and instantly started thinking about the Russian Revolution.

[@sl33pw17h4ng3l5]

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.

[@lcrn6288]

People: Yay we are free New Dictator: More like, “Under new management”

[@shosty575]

Megamind?

[@jothamstephens104]

AH YAH

[@PatricioHondagneuRoig]

Oh Titan

[@gusking3928]

The cruelty of the old dictator is no more! Now, let a whole new wave of cruelty wash over this lazy land!!!

[@caldwell9-0]

Gus King. Not lazy, just unable

[@basilisk5855]

There are only two constants I see here: Death and taxes

[@UrWifiIsSlow]

Monaco joined the chat

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

😂😂😂

[@TheSkullConfernece]

Taxes are not constant. They're not a guarantee if we realize the illegitimacy of them and the opportunity of voluntary cooperation.

[@goldengaruda8935]

Taxes exist only so long as people, death as long as there is life

[@Mernom]

@@TheSkullConfernece voluntary cooperation... Among humans... So, never right?

[@petersmythe6462]

"You can't eliminate those who don't vote for you." *Challenge Accepted*

[@leannemo7382]

Hillary, is that you? ;)

[@cult_of_odin]

@AJ Kelly dude you have a lot to learn about reading comprehension since I was agreeing with you.

[@dorkmax7073]

Cough cough voter ID laws cough cough

[@Mr.Havoc4212]

Good luck

[@JessSimpson1313]

@AJ Kelly nothing like some casual anti-Semitism in KZbin comments amirite?

[@cyberlord64]

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

[@MachineMan-mj4gj]

This isn’t dark, it’s just honest.

[@treeamble585]

The two aren't opposites, it can be honest and dark at the same time

[@HeidenLam]

Being honest is dark, we live in a society

[@MachineMan-mj4gj]

@@HeidenLam Go I'm so sick of this society around me.

[@MachineMan-mj4gj]

@Je720 Republics fail because the people become lazy.

[@stillwatersrundeep001]

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.

[@gmitchellfamily]

Love how the full-out dictators have AK-47s but the "middling" dictator is stuck with the cheaper SKS.

[@kennedytheretard975]

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*

[@Cybernaut551]

Haha, the 'middling dictator' may be a cheapskate.

[@kurtsell8376]

@@Cybernaut551 that's why he's a middling dictator

[@KingOfMilfgaard]

"And Angels who build good works will always lose to Devils who don't" Damn bro..

[@kolkoki]

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 ! "

[@alfredorotondo]

@@kolkoki *pinochet noises*

[@kolkoki]

@@alfredorotondo I am sorry as i do not know enough about him to understand what you are meaning

[@graveyardshift6691]

@@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.

[@TheRealColBosch]

@@graveyardshift6691 I've got something you can breathe, asshole.

[@theofender5523]

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

[@smalltiny]

1. Measure in cm and inches 2. Be transparent. 3. Be portable and safe to use

[@kcechoxzar]

then: 1. Measure in bananas

[@fattshea6312]

Top meme m9

[@Infernape7890]

Beautiful!

[@kalvincastro9042]

Discriminating against wooden and metal rulers :(

[@jaschabull2365]

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.

[@benitofranco372]

“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...

[@YoshiTheyosh123]

"Maybe you'll be different..."

[@oswald7597]

"The people only storm the palace when the army let's them" Funny that

[@DrOfficedog]

A it was totally a coup when they didn’t try to hold it or make demands.

[@bradenallen1241]

@@DrOfficedog Doesn't matter what it was, they're terrorists either way.

[@DrOfficedog]

@@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.

[@flexingfletchyt4756]

V for vendetta: Yep ima write that down

[@d.m.collins1501]

@@DrOfficedog what day was that? I'll look that up in my history books oh wait it's a lie.

[@cattoleonce4066]

that one dictator that spent everything on the citizens until he got killed by the military leader : 👁👄👁

[@alrick3000]

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

[@cr0n0slxiii54]

Which book? 48 rules of power perhaps?

[@sdriggers2]

@@cr0n0slxiii54 Almost certainly the "Dictators Handbook" by Bueno de Mesquita et al. It's academic.

[@cautarepvp2079]

so what was the book?

[@alrick3000]

sdriggers2 is correct. The Dictators Handbook by Bueno de Mesquita. An Amazon link to the book is in the video description.

[@dorkmax7073]

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

[@I_AM_HYDRAA]

Machiavelli advice is just commons sense

[@I_AM_HYDRAA]

@@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

[@mobeenkhan824]

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.

[@mobeenkhan824]

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.

[@mobeenkhan824]

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.

[@tdimensional6733]

To quote the Donkey Kong Country cartoon: "He who holds the coconut, rules."

[@ethangoldsmith9332]

Hol nut, rule

[@thetayterminator1436]

The "Golden Rule", he who holds the Gold Rules.

[@novkorova2774]

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.

[@krishivagarwal5189]

The coconut being the said nation's resources.

[@baranxlr]

So it is written.

[@kevingubernatis3324]

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.

[@alexia3552]

"Maybe, you'll be different" As the hat morphs to a dictator's hat.. message well sent

[@williamfarley3794]

I always get a little chill at that part

[@jeremyjackson8862]

And the cycle continues.

[@georgeevans9044]

One of my favorite moments in the video

[@chee.rah.monurB]

@@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?

[@minervablake7573]

Damn, I never realized that stick figures could be so expressive...

[@justincronkright5025]

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.

[@arulmalhotra8587]

same

[@TRG_real]

When you have 2k likes and 3 comments....

[@feynstein1004]

Check out Historia civilis. You'll marvel at how you come to care for a collection of squares and boxes.

[@Wilker_uwu]

ever heard of Animator vs. Animation by Alan Becker?

[@nsk370]

This video is, to this day, one of the best videos ever made. Brilliant and eye-opening.

[@alizo3]

Ns K so true!

[@chipskylark5500]

Fucking fantastic video. This is what KZbin was made for

[@holisticpsychologybyobrien]

You know it, buddy. Go watch House of Cards.

[@obradinn7491]

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.

[@selfissimo]

If you believe what he says then you are stupid.. should read more books.

[@benh715]

This video should be part of every school curriculum. It’s a great way to understand the world.

[@devon301f]

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.

[@matril328]

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

[@pietristephane3537]

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.

[@bca_4321]

@@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.

[@pietristephane3537]

@@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....

[@PitLord777]

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.

[@cosmicspacething3474]

*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.*

[@federativemapperholiday1580]

Started a coup in a server, became vice dictator then went and assasinated the main dictator

[@daseapickleofjustice7231]

How does one access these discord servers of such interesting politics?

[@daseapickleofjustice7231]

@@thedirector9871 yes but how can I find a server to spread my political agenda in?

[@daseapickleofjustice7231]

@@thedirector9871 cool I will use the ghost of comrade Stalin to make a better society

[@kopi6850]

@@daseapickleofjustice7231 potato

[@felipeaugusto2600]

@@thedirector9871 That sounds epic

[@ReliquaryPrime]

Well, THAT was depressing...

[@woofiegoofie]

@Matthew Morycinski you cannot use the word compromise in Dictatorship system.

[@wtfbros5110]

@@woofiegoofie tell that to Beria

[@woofiegoofie]

@@wtfbros5110 At first I don't know him but ugh he's awful.

[@wtfbros5110]

@@woofiegoofieyeah he's almost as bad as Himmler, which is ironic since he wants detente with the west and a united neutral germany

[@elitemook4234]

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.

[@GraysonStealth]

I'd have to say... this is the best informative video on the internet

[@JoeSmith-qy6qo]

Yes

[@funwiththoughts]

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.

[@Conman9310]

This guy gets it

[@PitLord777]

*THE THRONE ACTS UPON YOU! DAMMIT!*

[@YukonHexsun]

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.

[@subscribetomefornoreason7294]

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

[@_modernmage]

@@subscribetomefornoreason7294 how would people catch a dictator rewarding keys? Not all actions happen out where people can see, you know.

[@knerf999]

this made me hate politics even more. But i am a more informed citizen now which is more valuable.

[@Sickboyfriend]

Yeah, politics is not a likable subject, yet it affects your life, and you should care.

[@obviouslyniceduh5521]

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

[@knerf999]

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?

[@artski09]

no it pays to be uninformed

[@Arlesmon]

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.

[@someguy9986]

CGP Grey: master of pacing, connoisseur of the dramatic pause

[@adamrodaway9116]

Rule 5. When you’ve spent all the treasure and the people start getting restive, start a war. Either on an internal group (Jews, Kulaks….etc.) or a neighbour (Poland, Falklands, Ukraine…)

[@alecxander9573]

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.

[@eclecticsoffy]

Thanks

[@onlinealiasuk]

4: don't fight a land war is Asia

[@Leonlion0305]

@@onlinealiasuk except, if you are,...The Mongols

[@orangelake2268]

@@Leonlion0305 New 4th: Don't Fight a sea war in Asia

[@bishopadhemaroflepuy8377]

@@onlinealiasuk 5: Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

[@raifwinn2475]

8.2 million views. I didn’t know there were gonna be that many future dictators

[@BrodyMulligan]

I’m just running for state legislature in the US. I don’t really seek anything beyond state senator. It’s pretty good information.

[@antonyandrewson5803]

@@BrodyMulligan whens the election?

[@jeric_synergy8581]

Dude, it's happening right in front of you.

[@csaros]

I watched it seven times already

[@danese1636]

Considering how many "seats of power" there are in Microsoft or Google or Amazon alone... you should have known.

[@Spailon]

18:03 The ruler turns into a dictator as the screen fades to black, beautiful.

[@NAME-yg8sl]

Didn't even catch that...

[@GeorgeDCowley]

And winks.

[@user-xy5yg6se1k]

ikr? looking for this comment

[@alandeutsch7769]

and also the music turns from a major into a minor key. great catch

[@xpendabull]

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.

[@lordsiomai]

This is so well made. It touches on so many topics without being drowned in so much detail about single one of them

[@a2rhombus2]

Gotta love a good depressing video to destroy my faith in our political system first thing in the morning

[@delpher32exe]

our you mean on this fucking planet?

[@a2rhombus2]

delpher32exe Our as a general umbrella term for the human race so yes

[@Zazer99541]

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.

[@danielsjohnson]

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 ;)

[@rafaelpun]

But legalizing marijuana increase the (tax) treasury that allows them to do projects and build stuff that makes key supporters happy.

[@HiHello-jo8tp]

"No man rules alone." One of the sharpest double-edged swords ever.

[@moiquiregardevideo]

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.

[@namingisdifficult408]

Christian Gingras agreed

[@bluehatbrit]

Don't mind me, just re-watching to refresh my memory due to current events.

[@quinnp8493]

From the perspective of keys to power it can be interesting to observe Costa Rica, which abolished it's military following a series of coups. This effectively eliminated a key to power and saw a subsequent shift of resources towards the general public. Subsequently it's been the most economically and socially successful Central American country, with an unblemished record of continuous democracy in a neighborhood prone to strongmen.

[@georgiaoni6101]

finally something that doesn't sound all doom and gloom

[@StevXtreme]

That''s because it affords to have no military as it's protected directly by the US army. But I do live in CR and I definitely agree that the lack of an army is beneficial.

[@jakubkahoun8383]

@@StevXtreme We have the army, the size is just so small, that it would not matter if Russia decides to invade us.

[@alexassassy5855]

@@jakubkahoun8383 even with all the citizens enrolled in the army I don't think costa rica could even scratch the russian army

[@user-mr2cx8yd7v]

Yeah it's probably the best place to live in Central America

[@AtrumDelorox]

I know it's suppose to be educational, but this felt dark as fuck. Soul crushingly hopeless. Yet some part of me liked it.

[@SolarScion]

Indeed. None of these systems work at scale to allow for a fair society. Once a system becomes large enough that any one person is not accountable to any other, the power structure begins to supersede humanity.

[@farmerboy916]

Which is why you simply eliminate non-voluntary power structures.

[@512TheWolf512]

that's a simple confirmationof the statement, that whoever has the power has anything

[@esbenandersen5706]

Americapox and The Trouble with Transporters were very much in the same tone. It's very different, if you compare to say, the Zebra vs Horses video (Which came after Americapox, IIRC, and on a related note) or even his Why the UK Elections were the Worst in History (Also on a fairly depressing subject). I don't know why, but it seems Mr. Grey is trying (And achieving) vastly different moods with educational videos. Like you, I like the variety... but I also like H.P. Lovecrafts work on the abject insignificance of humanity, and how all our dreams will eventually be wrought to naught by a being so far beyond our understanding that it's not even monstrous; it just never realised we were there to be ruined.

[@autolykos9822]

Yup. The saddest part is that there is no evil conspiracy. It's simply a result of game theory (i.e. mathematics), and just as unavoidable as water flowing downhill. And it's not just in politics - coordination problems are almost always the reason we can't have nice things. A (very long, slightly rambly) article that discusses this kind of problem in more detail would be Scott Alexander's "Meditations on Moloch": slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/ TL;DR: Almost no one is evil. Almost everything is broken.

[@anachronity9002]

Very helpful for planning D&D campaigns, making villains and unpleasant-but-necessary allies feel more nuanced and natural rather than just being there because your story needs a bad guy. also, like, understanding politics or something.

[@Hell_O7]

Good for you, I probably never actually use it for anything lol. Bit unrelated but how does D&D works? I guess... where do I need to go for both learning the lore and play the game

[@grizzlyb9984]

You should also check out mathew colville's politics series. They go hand in hand. Dael Kingsmill also has a video about politics and settlements.

[@grizzlyb9984]

@@Hell_O7 D&D is an TTRPG. Table top role playing game. You play pretend in a world already published or in one made by you. There's a game master that works as referee and narator and around 4-5 other players that explore the world, fight things or just talk to people. You should really look it up online.

[@Hell_O7]

@@grizzlyb9984 I get that part, I'm talking about the detail like how is the story created, the GM react to dice rolls (did they make the branching paths before that, or is it something the book made), how to make characters, etc. I've been to DnD Beyond site before to look up about the character one, but I come out with more question honestly (especially level and what is the limit of freedom you have, which probably decided beforehand) It's probably easier to show in practice, but I'm not even sure if I have the attention span for playing that to begin with. Sorry for the long comment lol

[@grizzlyb9984]

@@Hell_O7 it's alot of making stuff up on the fly for the things you didn't account for, refering to how the dm reacts to the unforseen. He thinks what they might do, or just asks them and then, plan accordingly. Say they want to infiltrate a castle. He makes a castle as he sees fit, and then the players decide how they approach. One trick is to put a delayer in between the players and their destination. They want to go to the sewers? A small number thugs attack them. They defeat the thugs and reach the sewer as the session ends. They are hiped for the next time because they reached their destination, and the gm gets one more week or so to plan the sewers. Being the gm mostly encompases knowing how some stuff works, such as rules or real life, and then do something that fits the bill for what they need. I am no fan of dnd Beyond. My all time favorites are "Never stop thinking" 's how to play guide, and "Mathew Collvile" 's running the game series for when you have a grasp of the rules. The running the game series is geared towards making people run dnd as a GM.

[@michaelrissik4817]

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.

[@CarlosRios1]

I thought that Rule 0 was: "Keep the army happy.""

[@techdroid2000]

Carlos Rios Military Industrial Complex, always worth learning about.

[@512TheWolf512]

that's the main rule - have the power

[@omegasrevenge]

The army is merely another Key supporter. A very important one, sure, but nothing more.

[@512TheWolf512]

abschussrampe no, it is the key key supporter

[@carsonchiu6069]

can't pay the army without the bureaucrats

[@RGC_animation]

You know the phrase: "You either die as a hero or live long enough to watch yourself become a villain."? This video fits perfectly.

[@archravenineteenseventeen]

Maximilian Robespierre and those kings in the bible

[@Hr1s7i]

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.

[@Destroyer120296]

@@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]

@@Destroyer120296 Choose keys who are not greedy ass hats. It's that easy, and that hard at the same time.

[@thunderboltjavelinxiii7219]

@@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.

[@mr._seal1103]

when you realize there are no such things as corrupt politicians, but they are just politicians

[@Alexaflohr]

Makes you think, doesn't it?

[@Aikman94]

Open to question, but it is a fair point... :/

[@Sammysapphira]

That's not even remotely true at all.

[@Ianx50]

+benblue3 You're right, there are non-corrupt politicians. They just don't stick around for very long because of the points presented here.

[@DarkSTKx]

benblue3 what's not remotely true?

[@iraqigeek8363]

The current events in Ukraine and the swath of sanctions imposed by the west on Russia reminded me of this video and of The Dictator's Handbook

[@judewakefield7213]

Don’t take this video as an indication that it’s impossible to help people. Take it as what the obstacles are to helping people. You have to get past both your own naïveté and cynicism to see hope in this. If your takeaway is you can’t help people, you’ve missed the point. You just can’t help people in simple ways. But by creating blocks of voters who will push for education funding and if you’re willing to accept the complicated legal structure of a mature democracy then you can find ways to help. It isn’t by destroying the system, it’s by manipulating it.

[@christopherrichey9137]

Which is why almost NO politician actually does what they promise they will do once in office for the first time and why almost all become corrupt to stay there. It's a shame but it is human nature. The founders knew this and did a pretty good job of setting us up right.

[@_FFFFFF_]

There is zero hope in it. Most of the readers and watchers do not have the social influence or money to "be" key or create a block The socio political landscape is putty to those with money. Be prepared for serious repercussions to both you and your family if you plan to change that, even in a democracy.

[@judewakefield7213]

Wade Mealing Hi, thank you for taking time to comment! This isn’t meant as an attack but I feel you are wrong and your appraisal of the powers that be are more akin to an ancient philosopher’s understanding of nature in that it sounds reasonable enough but lacks understanding. By spreading our understanding of selectorate theory and pushing for having as many voters as possible the political landscape changes, politicians are incentivized to aid more and more citizens and over long periods of time positive changes occur. Use America as an example: our human rights have increased in correlation with the number of voters that are franchised. Despite the fact that enfranchisement disadvantaged powerful people it advantaged other powerful people, and thus it was eventually brought about. The black vote, the female vote, both of these hurt some powerful people but aided others and eventually became the law. The hope lies in realism. People are so mad finding out politicians are playing chess instead of checkers that they ignore the rules for chess and waste their time bemoaning the state of things.

[@_FFFFFF_]

Thank you for taking the time to respond, My view is simplistic, my background is not in politics. I can only take the observations that I see in my life and not from the ideal world. I do realise this means it's anecdotal evidence, I do not have the time or the inclination to delve into US political manipulation (as I am not in the USA) and learning it has no next to zero utility in my life. I agree that knowing the rules of the game helps us understand it, but I honestly do not think that there is any serious chance of an individual not born into wealth or power having an influence. The minority group voting ( Race and Gender) just created yet another key to pander to and garner more influence. In this case it's a large and powerful key that even today creates overly simplistic talking points that are wielded by the political powers which are fawned over by these groups. The sad part is that these groups are frequently created by the political divisions that they support, further entrenching the most pandering political party. I would not believe for a moment that these groups becoming a new key was a problem for politicians or powerful people. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, new palms to grease. I also agree there is no point complaining about it, this problem can't be fixed, and I also happen to think its the best solution we have right now. I just think that it is insincere to suggest that we can have any influence on the outcome when we have no control over the rules, the game and the scoreboard, and all we do is fund the machine with our income. I don't have a better solution, we introduce more rules we corrupt intentions, we release the rules we allow abuse. Its a bad place to be in if you're at the bottom of the ladder and many of us are going to be there for our entire lives.

[@seroccoprime2774]

Destroy the system anyway.

[@karmasauce2323]

"When approval ratings couldn't be lower but re-election rates couldn't be higher, then you'll know you succeeded." That hits hard.

[@WulfieZi]

They don't have to like you, they just have to like you better than the alternative

[@Jartran72]

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

[@kriswayne7938]

Explain plz

[@TheFi0r3]

That's just the raw, unfiltered, reality.

[@Miranox2]

@@Jartran72 Elections happen more often than that. It's not just the presidency or Senate that matters.

[@CodaMission]

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

[@slevinchannel7589]

This channel reminds me of 'Oversimplified' and 'Hbomberguy'': Very educational BUT Fun.

[@diver2791]

Not all revolts/revolutions are secretly backed by the military or other keys though. Sometimes it just so happens that all major power institutions (and numerous rulers and keys behind them) are weakened by natural disasters, foreign invasions or some severe economic crisis. Sometimes it just comes to the point that a new institution can emerge unopposed and semi-independently from the power vacuum and start a proper civil war.

[@cheydinal5401]

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"

[@novkorova2774]

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.

[@marknaughton]

@@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]

@@marknaughton "Everyone just agrees on being necessary, and if you don't agree, then we agree you"

[@thats_a_human_person1478]

@@novkorova2774 my dad always said "democracy is a glorified lynch mob"

[@kevinp1046]

@@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%.

[@jeremywong4235]

"After the bird was shot, the fine bow is disused; after the hare was caught, the loyal dog is slaughtered." - Old Chinese proverb

[@blugaledoh2669]

This will be problematic. After all if the dog know that catching hate will result in their death. They will stop hunting.

[@jeremywong4235]

@@blugaledoh2669 if the dog refuses to run it will be cooked sooner wouldn't it

[@blugaledoh2669]

@@jeremywong4235 What if it bite you back?

[@2Meows]

@@blugaledoh2669 *vsauce theme*

[@kaijiesoo8588]

鸟尽弓藏 兔死狗烹 :o

[@nikolaslijepcevic5351]

"Take the throne to act and the throne acts upon you", couldn't be more true

[@lordhosseinlh]

The king of my country ones said that as a king he does not make false promises or false hope to people. He said, unlike in a democracy where leader promise everything to the people and don't follow through, I promise exactly what I can deliver and so far my work is my proof.

[@NachoTaco112]

Instructions unclear, accidentally reuinited the Russian Empire and became the Tsar

[@kamanashiskar9203]

Long Live the Tsar!!!

[@caravan3636]

oopsieee

[@lincolnickler9354]

hey bro nice pfp

[@danielhu6485]

Actually taking power is easier than keeping power

[@craigsnortsfruitshoots2811]

Now bombrush Europe

[@justapotota4330]

"Take the throne to act, and the throne acts upon you."

[@revan1139]

just like the apprentice of obi-wan

[@mrnobuddy3549]

"where you stand depends on where you sit. where you sit depends on where you stand. "

[@fiftysquiggly]

@gespilk The fuck are you talking about. First of all, this video in no way makes an attempt to relate the information to trickle down economics - its discussion of economic systems is even minimal. It discusses political systems more than it does economic systems for christ's sake. The video was made using the "Dictator's Handbook" as a reference and attempts to explain how power is obtained, maintained, and distributed amongst ruling parties. Second of all - key supporters and rulers ARE present at the same time. I am not even sure I understand what the hell you were attempting to convey here. The concept that is being conveyed is that a ruler without key supporters is not a ruler. That key supporters are necessary for any ruling party to enact change.

[@fiftysquiggly]

No, as a matter of fact - I don't. And the reason I don't is because it isn't the same. The "idea of paying your key supporters" utilizes only one mechanic of Trickle Down Economics and, frankly, it utilizes that mechanic because that particular mechanic is inherent in ANY system of employment. Let's first establish a full understanding of Trickle Down Economics. Trickle Down Economics is the concept or idea that increased benefits for employers and businesses will result in increased benefits for society as a whole - increased wages, more jobs, etc. In short, it suggests that increasing the benefits for employers and businesses will directly influence and result in a net positive influence on the economy and people. Now let's return to your point. The idea of paying your key supporters is, indeed, a SINGLE MECHANIC present in Trickle Down Economics, sure. After all, in any system of employment, there needs to be incentive. But this mechanic is present in ANY system of employment and is not limited to, or originated from, trickle down economics. It is, actually, more comparable to employment in general. An employee who works for X company might leave X company for Y company if they feel that X company pays them less than what they are worth, and Y company will pay them more. It's a basic foundation to a working relationship - any working relationship. Similarly, a leader must pay their keys. This is a working relationship and, if the keys are not provided sufficient incentive and assess that they are more likely to be better rewarded by a competitor, they will switch sides. Aside from this mechanic, which is inherent in ALL working relationship, there is no further connection to Trickle Down Economics. CGP Grey in NO WAY attempts to state that this system increases benefits for the citizens. As a matter of fact, he states THE OPPOSITE - he states that the leaders who pay their keys more, on average, have to pay their citizens less, and he makes no attempt to suggest that increasing the amount you pay a key will increase the benefits to the citizens. So no, this video is not an attempt to justify Trickle Down Economics. If anything, it demonstrates AGAINST the concept of Trickle Down Economics. It's, rather, an attempt to explain how ruling parties obtain and maintain power.

[@TheBearJew1309]

"All power corrupts, but absolute power is kinda neat"

[@boptillyouflop]

Jesus, talk about a way to diminish my faith in humanity.

[@w0mblemania]

Dude, think of it this way: the same concept that gives us dictatorships also shows us how to avoid them. i.e. we spread power far and wide. We don't let power concentrate in the hands of the few, whether they are oligarchs, right-wingers or communists.

[@krealm2401]

There have been relatively good times aswell and if you live long enough there will be good times again, but one of the things we must understand is that nothing lasts forever (except God). As such we should not waste/take for granted the good times. In many cases (not all) history has gone.... From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependency back again into bondage.

[@Fabelaz]

@@w0mblemania oh wow, look at all of the corporations that have an enormous amount of power in their hands getting bailed out by the US president. It definitely ain't it. Ok, obvious pointing of fingers aside, that would be good, but then I have a question on my mind. We have a couple of crises on our hands, that being global warming, asteroid collision and an unlucky solar storm - the ones that I know of. The first one would be alright, if it weren't for George Bush, which probably was pushed by a specific key need. But how do we focus our societies on tackling a problem that is yet to come without propaganda, which is a pretty massive key it itself?

[@sufimuslimlion4114]

w0mbles No I won’t think of it that way because your way of thinking is just a convenient way of feeling better and not having to grapple with the issues which would crush any “faith” you have in humanity

[@sufimuslimlion4114]

w0mbles You just choose to focus on the dictatorship aspect of the video but ignoring a major point of the video which says that democratic leaders and rulers are just as ruthless as the most brutal dictatorships and the structures are just as morally bankrupt and hearltless

[@Revenkin]

That's why in Australia voting is mandatory. If everyone votes, everyone is a keyblock demographic that can't be overlooked or taken advantage of... Or at least that is the optimal health for Australia. Unfortunately we have extremely biased privatised news outlets so a lot of the plans and funding for lower keys and entire keyblocks are hidden or taken advantage of anyway

[@zibix4562]

I actually agree that it should be mandatory in the us. Vote or be fined 1% of your income (or 100 USD), whichever is greater. Throw your vote away by voting for a third party or put in the write in part "I am doing this under duress" and just do your damn civic duty. Also all businesses have to give people time to go vote. Write in ballets is acceptable.

[@oz_jones]

Ah yes, lets take notes from a prison colony :D You literally live in a dictatorship.

[@ManoredRed]

Doesn't work in practice. Mandatory voting is populist and corruption fodder. Poor ignorant people who normally wouldn't vote vote and get their vote purchased by some corrupt guy, or are brainwashed by a populist. Also happens in Brazil. In some places its still common for politicians to literally give people fuel, or farm animals, or whatever for their vote, often having entire networks of people to do this in a large scale.

[@jsquared1013]

Better to have varied biases in the privatized media than have a singular, government-controlled bias (see: Russia, China, etc).

[@sporkeh90]

Stalins solution: refresh those keys every other week.

[@hristiyandelisyarov6487]

Sixteen times the power....it just works

[@ehabuossef8026]

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*

[@kramarancko1107]

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?

[@hamdaanchalky7724]

@@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.

[@randombystander991]

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.

is this a tropico play guide?

[@openproducer145]

EL Presidente 101

[@Nosirrbro]

Nah man its CK2

[@boxylemons7961]

The video made me think of the game a lot actually

[@ElCampeador99]

Its TheoTown.

[@JoseHernandez-zq6rt]

Where is my island!!!!

[@baxterrhodes7542]

While many may see this and take it as a very negative outlook. I believe it is merely a very flat and practical view of power and how power works in these small dictatorships and in other political systems. Essentially it details how people, even with good intentions, submit to the fact that in order to gain power you must be constantly worried about the power you already have being taken. In essence, the ruler ends up having no actual power. Proximity to power, creates the illusion of power. Essentially, the average person who becomes a dictator or king or president. Will fall victim to (or already be complicit to) the corrupt system around them as they attempt to gain more power to achieve their goals. It becomes a self feeding cycle of using power to keep power. They go in wanting to be benevolent, and either refuse to play the game and wear their emotions on their sleeves (becoming useless since few will treat with him). Or they attempt to play the game, and lose their sense of morality as they try and not lose the power they have gained. Keep in mind, I say the average person. A person who is wise, intelligent and just can certainly use this system to his benefit and make it work for him. He may not need to bend to the will of his key supporters, he may not need to be entirely dependent on his wealth (or votes and laws) to placate and support those wishing to take from him his power. This is because you are also important in these scenarios (if you realize it), and the ruler as well can remove and replace various officials if he plans correctly. He can shape his government into one that will suit his needs using this system just as easily as the system can shape him. The ruler need only understand how his power works, understand the players around him, and be creative in overcoming the challenges that the key supporters give him. Primarily the corrupt ones, who if you wish to rule benevolently, must be eventually removed in their own "coups". The issue presented in this video is that too many rulers become figureheads, because they are too stupid or too scared. He is a glorified tax collector who takes the money from those below and funnels it into the real rulers, his "subordinates". When the tax collector gets uppity, he is replaced by another by the key supporters. In these situations it is better to be a key than a king, since you are not the focal point. However, a wise ruler need not fall victim to this system. He need not be, as it was said "ruled by the throne". He can rule his throne and employ people who will support him, listen to him and be loyal. All the while ensuring your subordinates protection. What is needed, is the knowledge and know how to work through this system. To play the supporters against themselves without their knowledge of your interference. Those who you dislike, you can abandon. Those you abandon, must not become a threat. Those you support, you must protect. As the tax collector you have the money and resources to decide this. You need only play the game intelligently, wisely and most of all discreetly. Or you will fall victim to an all too convenient "coup". In a corrupt government as a benevolent ruler, you must first play the game against the corrupt. You must first beat them, and put in charge those you view as not corrupt. Only then can you delegate the tasks of benevolence to your subordinates and see them bring about the prosperity you desire. Otherwise you will die stupid, or live stupid. All I am saying is do not despair, just be wise.

[@AegixDrakan]

Takin' notes, takin' notes, *takin' notes*

[@cylemons8099]

This comment should have more likes

[@petermartinez4399]

@@cylemons8099 Agreed

[@irvs5922]

So we have a man that starved himself to death, a man that is too gullible to see the evil he has in front of him, and a man that thinks winning and ruling are the same thing. What do all of these men lack? Wisdom. Wisdom is what makes a good king.

[@realdaggerman105]

Kessler Any man who must say I am the king, is no true king. I’ll see that you understand that when ive won your war for you.