How do wanna-be dictators (otherwise known as control freaks) get normal people to do what they want? (Before continuing with this short article, please know that there is already an imbalance here
in favor of the control freak because control freaks tend to be bullies whereas people who aren't control freaks generally lead mild lives, i.e., they want to do the right things, get along with everyone, and not make waves. In service to these goals, people who are not control freaks generally do what other people want them to do because it is the path of least resistance.)
But back to the topic of how bullies who are also control freaks (these attributes are generally not sold separately) can get other people to do what they want.
The control freaks must create a crisis (they may exaggerate an existing one or invent one themselves) and then tell people that they are the only ones savvy enough to rescue from the crisis. The bullies (control freaks) must be sure to frighten the non-bullies to an extreme degree, as fear makes people (especially those tending to let themselves be stomped on) irrational. (The last thing a wannabe dictator needs is a rational citizenry.)
Note of interest to would-be dictators: Make the fear that you fan have something to do with death, as success (in this case) is practically guaranteed. People with no God or a weak god (most people have a capricious, ill-tempered deity) must stay alive at all costs, as they don't really trust their deity to do the right thing in the next life (the deity of the Christian sector, for instance, sent a savior for the sake of humanity, never taking into account the stubbornness of humanity),
making a desperate clinging to THIS life the better option (where the other option is death).
Once the control freak has created the fear (it's not that hard to do), the CF (control freak) must make sure to limit—or, better, eliminate—any competing information, such as, "We have evidence that this crises is really not so bad, in fact, it's not a crisis at all.") Good news is good news unless, well—unless the only way for one to gain the power one seeks is the continual specter of bad news, in which case good news must be hidden.
Additional note of interest to would-be dictators: Hire your own newspeople and write the scripts for them. If you pay them enough money and promise them a piece of the future power pie, then they will broadcast whatever information you want. Whatever you do, don't call any of your "news" shows, "The Propaganda Hour," or "What We Want and Need You to Hear." Call them something like, "We Are The True Geniuses News Network" (WATTGNN), or "World News Tonight."
That's pretty much it. Oh, no, wait—there's one more thing: convince the potential stomped-on that doing what you want them to do is a way for them (the "little people") to save the world. Most people's lives are so drab and meaningless that they will rise to any occasion promising them savior status—never mind that it's all a lie. (Just tell the lie with a straight face and you'll carry the day.)
Once you convince the potentially stomped-on to become stomped-on in fact, you can drop the facade of a crisis (relax all pretenses) because your goal will have been achieved.
After a relatively short period of time, the stomped-on will realize that they have been duped (they will notice that you, the bully, are not following the same rules forced upon them), but by then it will be too late. Still, one mustn't take chances.
Note of interest to successful dictators concerning the "not taking chances" aspect: Since power corrupts, start killing people who start saying, "Hey, wait a minute..." Make sure you have lots of well-armed bodyguards and a secret police. (By this time, of course, you will have relieved the citizenry of their personal weapons; this is a given.)
Two final bits of advice: In order to increase the size of your castle and the comeliness of your whores, take away what little resources the people beneath you still own.
Lastly: Dig a moat.
