Dr. Marcel Dirsus

They were twice as likely to survive in power. And now you say, okay, that's kings, queens, whatever. That's the Middle Ages. But that same mechanism is still at play. Regime elites still care about the continuation of the regime. So if you look at something like Syria... and you look at the way that succession worked with the Assads, you have the same mechanism at play, right?

They were twice as likely to survive in power. And now you say, okay, that's kings, queens, whatever. That's the Middle Ages. But that same mechanism is still at play. Regime elites still care about the continuation of the regime. So if you look at something like Syria... and you look at the way that succession worked with the Assads, you have the same mechanism at play, right?

So you had Bashar al-Assad's father, who came to power many decades ago. And when he was no longer around, Syrian regime elites had to ask themselves, okay, what's next? And in the end, what they decided on was Bashar al-Assad.

So you had Bashar al-Assad's father, who came to power many decades ago. And when he was no longer around, Syrian regime elites had to ask themselves, okay, what's next? And in the end, what they decided on was Bashar al-Assad.

So you had Bashar al-Assad's father, who came to power many decades ago. And when he was no longer around, Syrian regime elites had to ask themselves, okay, what's next? And in the end, what they decided on was Bashar al-Assad.

Not because Bashar al-Assad was seen as this great leader who was perfect for the job, but because they thought that if they agreed to him, they could avoid a costly sort of war between each other, like within the regime. And ultimately, that's what they wanted to avoid. They wanted to avoid a war within the regime. They just wanted the regime to keep surviving because that's how you get the money.

Not because Bashar al-Assad was seen as this great leader who was perfect for the job, but because they thought that if they agreed to him, they could avoid a costly sort of war between each other, like within the regime. And ultimately, that's what they wanted to avoid. They wanted to avoid a war within the regime. They just wanted the regime to keep surviving because that's how you get the money.

Not because Bashar al-Assad was seen as this great leader who was perfect for the job, but because they thought that if they agreed to him, they could avoid a costly sort of war between each other, like within the regime. And ultimately, that's what they wanted to avoid. They wanted to avoid a war within the regime. They just wanted the regime to keep surviving because that's how you get the money.

That's how you get the power. So the same mechanism is still at play in the variants that it was. hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

That's how you get the power. So the same mechanism is still at play in the variants that it was. hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

That's how you get the power. So the same mechanism is still at play in the variants that it was. hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

Like, why not try something like that? Yeah, it can work. And sometimes it has worked. And if it does, it reduces the chance that you're going to end up being killed or being imprisoned. But the problem is that none of these leaders have absolute power. So this idea that this is a decision that they could make themselves is absurd, right?

Like, why not try something like that? Yeah, it can work. And sometimes it has worked. And if it does, it reduces the chance that you're going to end up being killed or being imprisoned. But the problem is that none of these leaders have absolute power. So this idea that this is a decision that they could make themselves is absurd, right?

Like, why not try something like that? Yeah, it can work. And sometimes it has worked. And if it does, it reduces the chance that you're going to end up being killed or being imprisoned. But the problem is that none of these leaders have absolute power. So this idea that this is a decision that they could make themselves is absurd, right?

So even though they might want to turn the country into a democracy... They might not be able to do so because, let's say, the generals might say, you know what, I would rather serve a dictatorship because this is what guarantees me money than turn the country into a democracy. A, they can't necessarily decide it themselves because they're relying on these other people.

So even though they might want to turn the country into a democracy... They might not be able to do so because, let's say, the generals might say, you know what, I would rather serve a dictatorship because this is what guarantees me money than turn the country into a democracy. A, they can't necessarily decide it themselves because they're relying on these other people.

So even though they might want to turn the country into a democracy... They might not be able to do so because, let's say, the generals might say, you know what, I would rather serve a dictatorship because this is what guarantees me money than turn the country into a democracy. A, they can't necessarily decide it themselves because they're relying on these other people.

And a lot of these other people might want to make sure that the regime survives. And the other problem is that... If the country does actually turn into a democracy, how are voters going to feel about these leaders going unpunished? So if you have a dictatorship and they've been harassing people, they've been imprisoning people, they've been torturing people, and the dictator says, you know what?

And a lot of these other people might want to make sure that the regime survives. And the other problem is that... If the country does actually turn into a democracy, how are voters going to feel about these leaders going unpunished? So if you have a dictatorship and they've been harassing people, they've been imprisoning people, they've been torturing people, and the dictator says, you know what?

And a lot of these other people might want to make sure that the regime survives. And the other problem is that... If the country does actually turn into a democracy, how are voters going to feel about these leaders going unpunished? So if you have a dictatorship and they've been harassing people, they've been imprisoning people, they've been torturing people, and the dictator says, you know what?