Vacated political power draws whoever is waiting in the wings to fill it

Evidence

The idea is that if you blow a hole in the center of the political system, taking power away from those who have it, then someone else is going to enter the empty space and take it. Unclaimed political power exerts an irresistible gravitational pull on anyone who might want it, and at every moment in recorded history, someone has wanted it. Personally, in the years since 2013, I would often use the language of a theatrical performance to say something similar. If you want to knock the main players off the stage, you should be paying attention to who is going to take their place. These might be local or foreign actors. If is not going to be you, then you had better like the people who are waiting in the wings. — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 842

Categorization

• XREF: Recalls power-vacuum dynamics in classical political theory and ‘nature abhors a vacuum’ framing. — connects to: Leaderless movements that cede representation get represented by opponents — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 443; Fear of organizational abuse paralyzed the left into ceding power to enemies — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and…, 905; Absorbing rival elites into the ruling bloc decapitates and neutralizes opposition

Broader Connections

• Absorbing rival elites into the ruling bloc decapitates and neutralizes opposition #exemplifies (0.78)