The Perils of Power

Yesterday, we saw the Wagner chief's airplane drop from the sky outside Moscow. A few hours earlier, the top general in the Russian air force was fired. He's likely to face charges of treason. At best he'll retire early on a reduced pension. At worst, he'll be executed.

On a similar note, a Whitehouse chef was found drowned in shallow waters a few weeks back. That's the second Whitehouse chef to die in this way within two decades.

Most likely, all of these people were knocked off due to various missteps. The circumstances surrounding their fate can therefore serve as lessons regarding powerful people and how to navigate around them.

In the case of the two Russians mentioned above, their crime was to be less than 100% loyal to Putin. It is imperative for anyone inside a power structure to show absolute loyalty. It's also of absolute importance to never challenge the one in charge.

Having some skill that cannot easily be replaced strengthens one's chance of survival and success. Russia's foreign minister is an example of this. He's very skilful. He's also 100% loyal to Putin, and of no direct threat to him. The man has no outward ambitions to be anything but the foreign affairs expert, and he's therefore likely to do well inside the Kremlin regardless of what happens to Putin.

However, having a skill that can easily be replaced is of no value when it comes to chances of survival. This is the lesson we can draw from the two Whitehouse chefs. Their missteps may not have been anything of their own making. They may simply have overheard or seen something compromising, and the best cause of action against such people, if they can be easily replaced, is to have them assassinated.

Vladimir Putin

By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Link