Not to bum anyone out, but the cavalcade of malevolent thugs being given high government positions are a problem that's not going to go away. The press speaks of rewarding "loyalty" over "competence" but it strikes me the obvious lack of qualifications is part of the point.
This is not just because our invincibly ignorant coup leader distrusts experts or because he likes breaking things, though that's clearly the case too. Victor Shih's research on the political weakness of authoritarianism helps me recognize something else at work. By appointing people to positions they would never deserve to hold, he creates dependents. They've never had it so good, nor have any chance of having it even half as good without him. It works even better if everyone knows their main qualification is his favor.
But the authoritarian leader surrounds himself with incompetents for another reason, too. Capricious and unscrupulous as he is, he's ever anxious about being replaced, and so wants to make sure he has no viable challengers. When an incompetent becomes competent, he is purged.
Why bother to point this out? To have realistic expectations about what awaits us.
