Ruling powers claiming victimhood is a hallmark of authoritarianism

Evidence

In its more serious guise, Deep Statism represented an alarming new development: a ruling party and a presidential administration that claimed to be under attack even as they held the bulk of power in the United States, that used the language of victimhood even as they were the victors, the history-makers. That is a worrisome phenomenon: claiming that an external enemy threatens the sovereignty of the state—an enemy to be repelled by any means necessary—is historically a hallmark of authoritarian leaders. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 936

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the pattern of victors adopting victimhood language seen across populist movements and authoritarian playbooks worldwide. — connects to: Bureaucratic power shifts guilt from wrongdoer to victim — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2442

Broader Connections

• Bureaucratic power shifts guilt from wrongdoer to victim #expands (0.72) — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2442