New Delhi, Aug. 8 -- It has been observed, across the world, that some dictators who manage to seize power from the legitimate authority within their nations display a streak of patriotism and hyper-concern for their country. But such altruism withers away after a short period of time as they begin to see themselves as even above their nation. That gets reinforced with the dictator getting a taste of absolute power, which is then hard to relinquish.
Libya's Col. Muammar Gaddafi is a good example of an idealist turning into a megalomaniac. Nearer home, in Pakistan, where the power hungry Army has ruled, either directly or indirectly, ever since the country's birth, dictators like self-styled Field Marshal Ayub Khan, Gen Yahya Khan, Gen Zia-...