THE QUESTION
What's a Middle East leader to do?
Put yourself in the shoes of an autocratic Middle Eastern leader: Let peaceful protests continue and you could easily wind up out of power, like Egypt's Mubarak. Or get tough with the protests and you'll certainly lose popular and international support. What's the best strategy for holding onto power without harming the country?
Posted by Steve Pearlstein and Raju Narisetti on February 22, 2011 9:59 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Bring critics into the fold
When conditions have deteriorated to the point at which constituencies simply will no longer accept the status quo, you either offer concessions or have them taken from you...
Posted by Robert Goodwin, on February 23, 2011 5:46 PM
Crush the rebellion or leave
When a country's leaders have established this type of relationship with citizens, the choices are simple. Crush the rebellion, or leave the country. Many of the strategies that might be available in more representative governments (like negotiation, compromise or gradual accommodation) are out of reach...
Posted by Lt. Col. Todd Henshaw (Ret.), on February 23, 2011 11:27 AM
Two ways to stay in power
Autocrats like Saddam Hussein and Josef Stalin stayed in power by following Machiavelli's advice that it is better for a prince to be feared than loved...
Posted by Michael Maccoby, on February 22, 2011 2:05 PM
How to build democracy
The best way to hold onto power without destroying a country with political upheaval is to hush those who speak against you while covering the ears of others before they hear what is going on...
Posted by Coro Fellows, on February 22, 2011 12:36 PM
Dear Sultan or King or Your Highness
No one knows, with any certitude, how long such advances take; especially so for a royal dynasty or a charismatic dictatorship. If any of your advisors tell you they know, fire them...
Posted by Warren Bennis, on February 22, 2011 10:35 AM
There's no good strategy
The only question for such a leader is how much more do you value yourself and your hold on power than you value...
Posted by Marshall Goldsmith, on February 22, 2011 10:32 AM
The compulsion to stay in power
The situations of such power-made potentates has a parallel to self-made entrepreneurs who once having built a business and a fortune have difficulty handing off control to others...
Posted by John Baldoni, on February 22, 2011 10:26 AM
Second chances are sometimes possible
Any government head who allows the national situation to deteriorate to the point of street protests isn't worthy of the title "leader"...
Posted by Yash Gupta, on February 22, 2011 10:22 AM
What you get when you give power away
Not that we want any of the autocrats to retain state power. They should all consider packing their carry-on bags for a one-way trip to the Maldives. But if they had wanted create a reputational power...
Posted by Ken Adelman, on February 22, 2011 10:20 AM
What you get when you give power away
Not that we want any of the autocrats to retain state power. They should all consider packing their carry-on bags for a one-way trip to the Maldives. But if they had wanted create a reputational power...
Posted by Michael Useem, on February 22, 2011 10:15 AM
Tough it out
If you want to hold onto power as an autocrat, you have no choice but to 'tough it out.' In the long run, you or your descendants will be overthrown...
Posted by Howard Gardner, on February 22, 2011 10:09 AM
Democracy will be met
An ayatollah or a Gaddafi will hold onto power because he is ruthless enough to shoot his own people in the streets in the name of a real ideology, perverted as it may be...
Posted by Slade Gorton, on February 22, 2011 10:03 AM
