Tonight’s fine distinction is a timely one: Autocrat vs Despot vs Tyrant vs Dictator.
An autocrat is someone who rules with absolute power.
A despot is someone who rules with absolute power cruelly and oppressively.
A tyrant is someone who illegitimately rules with absolute power cruelly and oppressively (a usurper).
A dictator is someone who illegitimately rules with absolute power cruelly and oppressively under a wholly new regime.
So…autocrats are part a long-established regime, like a monarch. A despot would be the bad version of that (with the term having its origins in white nations/kingdoms disparaging the rulers of non-white nations/kingdoms—fascinating). A tyrant, then, is someone who overthrows a legitimate ruler and takes their place, for example, as king. A dictator does the same thing…but establishes an entirely new form of government or rule.
The origins of the word “dictator” are Roman, and it was someone who was given special powers to solely govern in times of crisis…until Julius Caesar granted himself power of dictator for life, ie- “president for life” like, I think, Saddam Hussein did. And, interestingly, the original word “tyrant” wasn’t necessarily negative in connotation; it simply meant someone who’d usurped the leadership. If they’d deposed a despot, for example, the tyrant was the savior, not the bad guy.
Cool stuff 🙂
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It’s already sleepy time so we’ll make the summary of the day a quick one: Cooper had diarrhea again in the middle of the night so sleep was a little fraught, but I got up anyway and did my writing! Took care of the pups and ate breakfast while I watched F1 quali, then took a dooooope ass nap for a couple hours. Watched the race while I ate lunch, did some ad work, cleaned, took care of the pups, watched the Niners beat the Falcons (a pleasant surprise!), laundry, showered, did some Netflix work I’d missed and filled out my time card…and now sleep 🙂
Night night.