Hi, my name is Erin. Welcome to my blog. Im a grade 12 high school student in Canada. I just finished a PLP project about dictatorship! How can we use a speech to explore the threat posed by authoritarian rule? Keep reading to learn my answer to this driving question!

For this project we started by learning about different dictators. We did individual research studies on dictator and authoritarian leaders. We then looked into the psychology and different tactics these leaders used. We watch this Ted Talk and read this article. The power of authority. People obey authority figures, even when it involved administering potentially fatal shocks. The power of limited information. Authoritarian leaders cut off valid information sources to control the narrative. The power of gradually increasing demands. Experiments involved a gradual increase in shock levels, starting with mild shocks and escalating. The power of avoiding personal responsibility. In real life people often hide behind policies or authority figures to avoid personal responsibility for their actions. The power of fear. Authoritarian leaders often exploit fear to manipulate people. The power of existential courage. Existential courage prevents susceptibility to emotional manipulation by authoritarian leaders.

Our Plan to Take Over the USA

We were then asked to make a slideshow presentation on how we will become authoritarian dictators and take over a country. The country could be imaginary or real. Indy and I decided we would take over the USA. We created slides with key steps on how to take over America.

After the pandemic the state of the country is an a lower morale making them more susceptible to a big change. Typically political polarization in a country makes it a perfect target for take over as both sides want to leader that will do something. Our first step is to rise to power within the Republican Party, as the Republicans already have a strong susceptibility to a charismatic leader, and they have demonstrated willingness to support radical ideas and change. We know that to be a leader in this party we will need to be: charismatic, confident in our beliefs and plans, a little bit crazy. We will spread much miss information about the Democrats and will use these scary and uncertain times to our advantage by using the pandemic and America’s other issues as a way to gain power. Winning the election and gaining power is only one part of the process. The next step is keeping the power and controlling the citizens to prevent any uprising and revolutions from happening. The American people love their freedom of speech so it’s important we make sure they think they still have that. While also restricting their freedoms they can say whatever they want but if we can establish military presence, restrict other political opposition, and take away any power that smaller political and lobbyist groups have in our systems keeping the power should be easy. then we dismantle the political system from the inside out. We take away elections and voting laws, convincing the citizens that it is the way to go, because voting is rigged anyways, the crooked and corrupt politicians could make the ballots, and we could end up with another soft weak leader, it’s better to have a strong leader who you can trust will deliver strong policies and order. In schools and workplaces people will be taught about how great we are. We will be a truly nationalistic authoritarian country, our children or another leader with identical political views and plans that we choose will take over when we die.

We also made a piece of propaganda.

Debate

We then made a 3 minute speech. Indy and I decided our speech would be an American presidential debate speech and would go back and forth for 6 minutes. For the speech we had to present it in front of the grade 11 class. Indy represented the authoritarian dictatorship side, and I was the democratic side.

Our system is plagued with corruption, with no effort, no accountability, no transparency, how can we put trust in it? The deceitful democrats who currently lead our vast, beautiful, superior nation, are a threat to all Americans. Likely hiding intelligence and forcing the citizens of their own country into ignorance. We are Americans. We are an unparalleled nation, and we face numerous threats daily. Viruses that threaten to wipe out our existence. Opposing countries that threaten our national security. Attacks that threaten the safety of innocent men, women and children. To keep order, dispose of threats, and claim our rightful place as the greatest nation on earth, you need someone you can trust, someone who will purge the corruption, someone like me. The leader of the United. The saviour. The righteous. The free. God bless America!

In the crucible of freedom, where having a say determines our destiny, and where democracy is the crucible for resolving our problems, we find not just the promise of a better tomorrow, but the assurance that our shared future is one shaped by the collective will of the people. As we reflect on the discussions, let us remember that the strength of our democracy lies not just in our minds, but in the everyday choices we make as citizens. It is in the act of voting, the willingness to engage in open discussions, and the commitment to understanding one another that we truly embody the spirit of democracy. We stand at crossroads, facing the collective responsibility to safeguard our freedom, amplify the voices of the people, and addressing the issues that demand our attention. In the face of adversity, let us be guided by the light of America. When America comes together, we are a force capable of overcoming any challenge.

Overall this project was very fun to do. From planning to take over the USA, to having a presidential debate. I learned a lot a really enjoyed it.