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When Power Becomes Paranoia: Redi Tlhabi on Trump and the Weaponisation of the State artwork

When Power Becomes Paranoia: Redi Tlhabi on Trump and the Weaponisation of the State

Daily Maverick
E5528:25
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Show notes

In this episode of the Readiness Report, Redi Tlhabi traces a familiar and dangerous pattern in modern leadership: paranoia as power. From Silvio Berlusconi to Jacob Zuma to Donald Trump, she unpacks how leaders who see criticism as personal attack begin to govern through grievance, blurring the line between policy and vendetta, statecraft and self-image. Tlhabi argues that when leadership becomes branding, institutions are hollowed out, credibility collapses, and ordinary people pay the price. A stark warning about what happens when ego overtakes governance and when the state is turned into a tool for settling scores. This episode was made possible thanks to The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom: https://www.freiheit.org/sub-saharan-africa Hosted by: Redi Tlhabi Edited by: Joel Seboa Produced by: Emilie Gambade & Joel Seboa Original Theme Music & Design by: Bernard Kotze You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including Spotify! Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick You can find us on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ On TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Or on Twitter here: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article_tag/x/ You can listen to the podcast everywhere, including YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify! Support journalism that protects democracy. Become a Maverick Insider. https://tinyurl.com/SupportDailyMaverick Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyMaverickSA/videos Follow us on X : https://x.com/dailymaverick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailymaverick Check our website: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/dailymaverick/ Check out our TikTok page: https://www.tiktok.com/@dailymavericksa Download Daily Maverick Mobile App: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/daily-maverick-app/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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