Did The Dictator Just Became The Dictated? Trump, The Saudi Regime, And Jamal Khashoggi

Despite mounting evidence that the Saudi Regime was behind the apparent murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump has done his best to defend the Saudi Royal Family. Known in psychological terms as submissive egocentrism, it’s another hallmark of a dominating ego. When in this mode of thinking people gain power through the direct struggle for power but instead, through subservience to those who have power. In other words, they submit to the will of others to get those (powerful) others to act in their selfish interest. This way, people with submissive egos gain indirect power.(1) As president, though, a simple gesture like this can weaken liberty here and abroad. It can also lead a nation down a disastrous road.

Freeing Yourself By Enslaving Yourself
Donald Trump and his assertive/submissive egocentric personality didn’t suddenly just happen. Neither did the Saudi Regime’s dictatorial influence over his aloof reaction to Jamal Khashoggi’s brutal murder. For years, it’s been internalized, stroked, and even praised as with other dictatorial leaders. What makes this so dangerous for America are his enthusiastic supporters who play both roles too, depending on the situation and system. Nazi Germany and Fascism provides an excellent example, where nearly everyone had to learn to function within both egocentric types. Depending on the context, a hierarchy was established in which everyone was required to give absolute obedience to those above them and to have absolute authority over everyone below them.

As for the president, his submissive relationship to Saudi billionaires and princes go back to 1991 and is only deepening. When Donald Trump teetered on personal bankruptcy, he sold his 282-foot Trump yacht “Princess” to Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal for $20 million. Four years later, the prince came to his rescue again with a $325 million deal for his money-losing Plaza Hotel. The same year the Saudi Regime funded terrorists that struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the entire 45th floor of the Trump World Tower was sold to the Saudi Royal Family for $12 million, the biggest purchase in that building to date.(2) Abandoning a more reasonable and skilled diplomacy, Donald Trump has expressed admiration for the authoritarian nature of the Saudi Regime.

He’s also laid the groundwork for new business ventures found in the Saudi Regime’s 2030 Vision. In addition to a number of hotels and vacation resorts, he’s registered eight companies with names tied to the country, such as “THC Jeddah Hotel Advisor LLC” and “DT Jeddah Technical Services.” Consequently, it’s no wonder the business ruler turned presidential despot announces at rallies that: “Saudi Arabia, I get along with all of them. They buy apartments from me. They spend $40 million, $50 million.” From the reaction of enthusiastic supporters, it’s clear he’s mastered the art of consolidating absolute state control by mixing his financial empire with an appeal to patriotism.

In The Business Of Killing Information, Journalists, And Thousands
Leaders with dictatorial personalities may not be in the business of allowing elections or any kind of freedom of information and thought that could remove them from absolute power, but they’re usually in the business of amassing their own wealth-at the expense of others. Whether assertive or submissive egoists, they learn the arts of flattery and personal manipulation. They also become skilled actors and actresses, appearing to be genuinely interested in the well being and interests of the other while in reality pursuing their own interest through the other. Since consciously admitting their dictatorial flaw would trouble their feelings of justification, they moreover hide this mode of functioning from themselves. Their greatest deception then is self-deception, and it’s deadly.

It’s deadly to people like Jamal Khashoggi. He disappeared on 2 October 2018 and was last seen going inside the main entrance of the Saudi consulate in Instanbul, Turkey. Turkish police say he was murdered and dismembered inside the consulate, and that they have an audio recording of his death.(3) The Saudi Royal Family saw him as a threat with his exposes on the Saudi Regimes many human rights violations, funding of terrorist groups, and brutal war in Yemen. Still, they deny responsibility. They also accuse their neighbor, Qatar, of starting a smear campaign and conspiracy. Since the Saudi’s purchase billions of dollars in weaponry at are also at war with Yemen and Iran Donald Trump plans to do nothing. Again, assertive/submissive dictators are deadly, killing thousands.

What matters most to them too are their own interests and maintaining power. When the president first visited Saudi Arabia he helped suppress news that was not strictly controlled by its government. While Qatar’s Al Jazeera had plenty of critics, and which Jamal Khashoggi had worked for, none was more vociferous than the Saudi Regime. They blamed Al Jazeera for stirring up people through the Middle East and fostering the Arab Spring uprisings, and resented its reporting of atrocities by the Saudi-led and U.S. forces in their war against Yemen.(4) Since the Saudi Regime and Donald Trump see any sign towards freedom of information and thought as a threat, both worked to shutter Al Jazeera’s Arabic-language. They’ve relied on each other to consolidate their power.

The Art Of The Deal Is To Use Others-And Nations
Regarding dictatorial personalities, whether assertive or submissive, even someone like Adolf Hitler had to play both egocentric type roles at times to gain and seize and maintain power. This was evident in his many manipulative uses of groups within the Weimar Republic, and his pact with Josef Stalin called the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. It was also clear with his Pact of Steel regarding Italy and Benito Mussolini, and Tripartite Pact with Japan’s Emperor Hirohito. Given dictatorial personalities are in the business of using each other, and their dysfunctional relationship seldom lasts, it’s likely they’ll be another major conflict in the Middle East. With the kind of assertive/submissive egocentrism Donald Trump and the Saudi’s display, it may include a war with Iran.

It could also mean another Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, and another, more new global war with a number of dictatorial alliances.

Dallas Darling is the author of Politics 501: An A-Z Reading on Conscientious Political Thought and Action, Some Nations Above God: 52 Weekly Reflections On Modern-Day Imperialism, Militarism, And Consumerism in the Context of John’s Apocalyptic Vision, and The Other Side Of Christianity: Reflections on Faith, Politics, Spirituality, History, and Peace. He is a correspondent for www.WN.com. You can read more of Dallas’ writings at www.beverlydarling.com and www.WN.com/dallasdarling.

(1) Paul, Richard W. and Linda Elder. Critical Thinking: Tools for Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2002., p. 176-77.
(3) www.stripes.com. “Trump’s Business Ties To Saudi Arabia Run Long, Deep,” by Bernard Condon, Stephen Braun and Tami Abdollah. October 13, 2018.
(3) www.wikipedia.com. See “Adnan Kashoggi.”
(4) Johnston, David Cay. It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration is Doing to America. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018., p. 156.