What's with dictators and horses?

If you're wondering whether 'horse' is a representative word for dictators' weird idiosyncrasies, you are not wrong. But as things stand, the statement holds true even literally. Dictators are complicated people. Despite being the worst face of humanity, they often manage to capture the imagination of an entire country. They make people buy into narratives that they would normally be disgusted by. But research has shown that on a personal level, there are many parallels between dictators. Despite their tough veneer, most dictators are highly insecure about their position. And their thirst for violence is symbolic of their need to assert dominance, the result of a disturbed mind. But analysing the psyche of the most terrible men to walk the earth can be a boring effort. So I will let horses do the talking...

Horses are majestic creatures. They feature in most historic tales and often play an important role. This is because there is symbolism associated with horses. Power, glory, strength, wisdom...just to name a few attributes that horses are believed to embody. And these attributes are something strongmen crave for. Horses also cater to the archaic notion of masculinity in many societies. And it is well established that dictators have always tried to portray themselves as hyper-masculine. This is driven by a belief that the general public would trust the leadership of a man who can pick up a gun and fire a couple of rounds...or indeed ride a horse. This has made the animal a mascot which has been used time and again by autocrats across the world. 

Like any good theorist, it's important to back your hypothesis with arguments and facts. So let's start with the 'tyrant in the north', Vladimir Putin. Despite sporadic protests over the lack of civil liberties, Putin continues to hold an iron grip over his country. In the global stage, Russia is Putin. There is no Russian opinion that holds water in front of Putin's ideas. Putin's horse ride was extensively covered in the media. Indeed the leader took it a step ahead since he was also riding bear-chested..again a show of hyper-masculinity. 

Putin riding a horse in Siberia

There is a little known dictator in Turkmenistan called Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. He's been in power since 2007 and exhibits all the eccentricities of an insecure tyrant. I was introduced to Berdimuhamedow and his love for horses by comedian John Oliver. While for other dictator's the relationship with a horse is a propaganda demand, Berdimuhamedow takes it too seriously. He writes poems for horses, and has an large number of horses in his possession. 

Turkmenistan' Berdimuhamedow has a weird interest in horses

Iraq's Saddam Hussein was also an ardent lover of horses. He and his sons used to reportedly visit equestrian clubs and watch horse races. Saddam too had an impressive number of horses which were later freed by the American forces. 

Turkey's Erdogan has a complicated relationship with horses. Back in 2003, a horse recognised Erdogan for the tyrant he is and jerked him off its back before kicking him in his private parts. The video has since then become the punchline to many jokes. For most people, such an incident would be traumatic. Many would prefer to stay away from riding horses, especially if you are a strongman whose public perception is like your oxygen. But Erdogan was at it again in 2017, when he was clicked sitting on a horse.

Erdogan's complicated relationship with horses

Benito Mussolini too had his horse moment. When he decided to award himself the title of Protector of Islam, Mussolini received something called the Sword of Islam. He was later pictured with the sword, straddling a horse. A horse monument was also built to celebrate the title.

Benito Mussolini clicked straddling a horse

No list on dictators is complete without the most hated man in human history...Adolf Hitler. We've never seen Hitler ride a horse as such, probably because of his contempt towards anything that can breathe. But Hitler definitely understood the symbolism of the horse. During the days of his third Reich, there were bronze statues of horses that stood in front of Hitler's chancellery building.

Bronze statue outside Hitler's chancellery

The list is completed by North Korea's mass murdering man-child Kim Jong-Un. North Korean state media released pictures of Kim riding a white horse up a sacred mountain. The symbolism was evident, as one can assume safely that a horse is not Kim's regular mode of transport. The idea was to strengthen Kim's personality cult and showcase his physical prowess on a horse.

Kim Jong Un riding a horse in Mt Paektu

If we dig deeper in history, there are multiple instances of monarchs and despots preferring horses as the major mode of transport. But since horses were technically the predominant form of transport in those times, the context and symbolism may not apply like in the above cases.

Understanding a dictatorship requires a lot of research on the political system of the country, the dictator's own childhood and temperament among other things. But some things are easily extrapolated through historical facts. Like how most dictators are similar to fast bowlers in cricket. They work in pairs. Hitler and Mussolini, Kim Il Sung and Stalin, Putin and Assad, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping. These are some examples of the symbiotic relationship that dictators maintain. This of course is because of the realisation that only another tyrant with no human emotion will help them out. Self-preservation is the key. 

Misogynists-in-chief who rule the world

Society has always been reluctant to elect women into positions of power. Across the world, politics  has remained male-dominated, much like most other spheres. And it's not like leaders have done anything to change this regressive dynamic. On the contrary, they have milked society's narrow-mindedness to their advantage. Toxic masculinity has propelled many politicians onto the top post... just look at the White House. In recent times however, the trend has reached alarming levels with blatant sexism becoming a poll pitch. There are almost 200 countries on the face of the earth, and only around 25 have female heads of state or government. Among the most powerful countries, this list is even more lopsided. The problem is not just lack of representation, it is the attitude of the men who are currently in power.

A case in point is the President of Philippines, Rodriguo Duterte. This man is an embodiment of this article's header. His speeches can be best described as a volley of nonsense and toxicity. For Duterte, the following are just 'jokes'. He once made a lewd comment about his own Vice-President's skirt, and that too at an event which had typhoon survivors in attendance. Duterte once proclaimed that he had asked his military to shoot female guerrilla fighters in their genitals. He also made a rape joke about an Australian missionary who was raped and killed during a prison siege. Safe to say, Duterte is an enemy of mankind with not even an ounce of civilisation in him. But what's worse is how the public often react to his statements. His inappropriate jokes are greeted by raucous applause from his supporters. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thinks he is the Incredible Hulk, but a close look at his past comments suggest he is an incredible creep. Johnson, during his days as a journalist was a serial offender. He was once at a Labour conference, after which he wrote a piece dishing out some poison about 'the hot totty' present at the event. Fast forward a few year, and this was Johnson's advice to his successor about how to treat a female co-worker. "Just pat her on the bottom, and send her on her way." He recently called his political rival Jeremy Corbyn a 'great big girl's blouse'. 

Across the Atlantic is Boris' mirror image Donald Trump. Trump wears his misogyny on his sleeves, and does not even bother to deflect attention. Trump does not flinch when he objectifies women, in fact he thrives in the middle of such controversies. His so-called 'locker room' talk did virtually no damage to his poll numbers. In one of his books, Trump calls women inherently manipulative. There is simply no point trying to build a case against Trump, since he does most of the work himself. 

Closer home, Narendra Modi is no stranger to sexist comments. He was once kind enough to praise Bangladesh's leader Sheikh Hasina for tackling terrorism 'despite being a woman'. Sexism is the norm in Indian politics. From Mulayam Singh to Rahul Gandhi, the rot is widespread. 

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro who basically despises anything that can breathe and think freely is another example. He recently retweeted an extremely lewd social media post about French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron.

Were world leaders always like this, or is the growing public attention bringing more instances to light? Needless to say, people are more aware of the line that should not be crossed. A couple of years back, dog whistles were very common in political speeches. Not to say they are not anymore, but people identify them more easily nowadays. For background research on this piece, I went online to find instances were former President Obama was misogynistic. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any. Or maybe it's because they are not well documented. But the theme is recent. This decade has thrown up some pretty eccentric leaders. They keep us entertained, and make headlines that read like punchlines for a joke. But they are also extremely dangerous. Behind their benign facade of being beautifully dumb is a toxic mindset that can corrupt an entire nation.

But trailblazers are getting more attention nowadays because of the growing public attention that was just mentioned. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a shining example. Her reaction to the Christchurch shooting probably deserves to be canonised as a guidebook. She led her country out of a traumatic incident in the best manner possible. And she cracked down on gun laws immediately.

So what's the solution? Well when it comes to toxic leaders, there is just one option, universal vigilance. Misogyny cannot be a popular opinion, and it is incumbent on civilians to make sure it does not happen. Politics has been around for centuries, and we must realise by now that politicians don't reform themselves. It takes constant rebellion and ultimately voting them out of power to be rid of their policies.