Enemies of the People: Global Tyrants Who Strangle Liberty

These so-called leaders are strangling the soul of humanity. They are truly ‘enemies of the people.‘

New York, N.Y. — The world’s choking on a plague of strongmen, and I’m sick of it. These so-called leaders—puffed-up tyrants like Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Mohammed bin Salman, Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump, and Elon Musk—aren’t just power-hungry; they’re strangling the soul of humanity. They’re enemies of the people.

Start with Putin. He has turned Russia into a prison camp, silencing dissent with poison and bullets—look at Alexei Navalny’s fate. Erdoğan’s no better, jailing journalists and opponents in Turkey like it’s a sport, all while grinning for the cameras. Then there’s Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, who green-lit the savage butchery of Jamal Khashoggi and still gets a handshake from the West. Kim Jong Un? A buffoonish dictator starving North Koreans while he plays with nukes. These aren’t leaders—they’re parasites.

And don’t get me started on Donald Trump.

Back in power in 2025, he’s already flexing like a school yard bully–a tin-pot despot–threatening judges and spewing venom about “vermin” opponents. His buddy Elon Musk’s right there with him, unelected but acting like co-king, gutting federal agencies with a smirk. Musk’s not just a billionaire—he’s a wannabe overlord, turning X into his personal propaganda mill. Together, they’re a tag-team of chaos, shredding democracy for kicks and profit.

This isn’t just a rogue’s gallery; it’s a warning.

These 20 figures—see the list below—share a playbook: crush dissent, rig systems, and worship power over people. Xi Jinping’s got China locked in a surveillance chokehold, while Nicolás Maduro’s turned Venezuela into a wasteland of hunger and lies. Viktor Orbán’s Hungary is a nationalist fever dream, and Jair Bolsonaro’s Brazil flirted with the same poison. Even Narendra Modi, cloaked in democratic robes, squeezes India’s minorities and media with a smile.

The anger boils over when you see the pattern.

These aren’t random bad apples—they’re a global infection. From Aleksandr Lukashenko rigging Belarus to Abdel Fattah el-Sisi turning Egypt into a military fiefdom, they thrive on fear and apathy. Look at Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines—thousands dead in his “drug war,” and he brags about it. Or Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing, drowning dissent in blood since his coup. This is what happens when the world shrugs.

What’s maddening is how they get away with it.

Trump and Musk cozy up to these men—Putin, Kim, Erdoğan—and call it “smart.” Smart? It’s a betrayal of every value we’re supposed to hold dear. Freedom, justice, decency—they’re roadkill under these men’s tanks. And the rest of us? We’re stuck watching as they rewrite rules, jail critics, and laugh all the way to their palaces.

Take Saudi Arabia’s MBS—he hacks up a journalist, and the world still pumps his oil. Or Putin, annexing Ukraine while the West dithers. These enemies don’t just threaten their own people—they’re a middle finger to anyone who believes in a better world. Even figures like Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, hailed as a crime-fighter, lock up thousands without trial. It’s not progress; it’s a power grab.

I’m done with excuses.

These twenty aren’t “complex leaders” or “disruptors”—they’re tyrants, plain and simple. Some, like Trump and Musk, hide behind elections or wealth, but the stench of authoritarianism doesn’t wash off. Others, like Kim and Xi, don’t even pretend. They’re united by one goal: control at any cost. And we’re the collateral damage—our rights, our voices, our future.

So here’s the list. Stare at it. Feel the rage. Then do something—speak, vote, resist. Because if we let these enemies of the people keep winning, there won’t be much left worth saving. I’m Jim Luce, and I’m not shutting up until they’re stopped.

Top 20 Authoritarian or Fascist Figures (2025 Context)

1. Vladimir Putin (Russia) – Centralized power, suppressed dissent, annexed territories.
2. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey) – Jailed opponents, curtailed press freedom.
3. Mohammed bin Salman (Saudi Arabia) – Ordered Khashoggi’s murder, absolute rule.
4. Kim Jong Un (North Korea) – Totalitarian control, human rights abuses.
5. Donald Trump (USA) – Threats to democracy, authoritarian rhetoric in 2025 term.
6. Elon Musk (USA) – Unelected influence, pushes anti-democratic agendas.
7. Xi Jinping (China) – Surveillance state, crushed Hong Kong’s freedoms.
8. Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela) – Rigged elections, economic collapse.
9. Viktor Orbán (Hungary) – Nationalist, eroded democratic norms.
10. Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil) – Embraced authoritarian tactics, denied 2022 election.
11. Narendra Modi (India) – Curtailed press, targeted minorities.
12. Aleksandr Lukashenko (Belarus) – Rigged elections, brutal crackdowns.
13. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Egypt) – Military dictatorship, mass arrests.
14. Rodrigo Duterte (Philippines) – Extrajudicial killings in “drug war.”
15. Min Aung Hlaing (Myanmar) – Coup leader, violent suppression.
16. Nayib Bukele (El Salvador) – Mass incarcerations, eroded checks.
17. Bashar al-Assad (Syria) – Brutal civil war, chemical attacks (pre-2025 fall).
18. Ali Khamenei (Iran) – Theocratic control, suppressed protests.
19. Teodoro Obiang Nguema (Equatorial Guinea) – Decades-long dictatorship.
20. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (Turkmenistan) – Cult of personality, total control.

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Enemies of the People: Global Tyrants Who Strangle Liberty (March 8, 2025)