Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 3, Number 1, Spring/Summer 2018 | Page 16

A Psychological and Political Analysis of a Twentieth Century “Doctator”
as for state licensing boards. Licensing boards authorize discipline based on “unprofessional”
or “unethical” conduct as it applies not only to their professional
lives, but also to their personal lives. In attempting to discern why physicians (and
nurses) charged with protecting life and limb are held to a higher standard than
others, Sawicki explains that because they work in a profession where the healing
and safeguarding of those most vulnerable is part of the profession, “society
looks askance at any conduct that calls into question this ethic of care and respect”
(Sawicki 2011, 719). Ultimately, society tends to elevate physicians, holding them
in high regard for their ability to heal and the perception that doctors personally
desire to make the world a better place.
Why do some societies allow physicians to then slip into the role of political
dictator? How can widespread human suffering be sanctioned by someone who
holds himself to the Hippocratic Oath? These are among some of the interesting
questions that arise when considering doctors who assume the role of political
dictators. When doctors enter politics, some look upon them differently compared
to career politicians, lawyers, or any other profession. Early on, medical doctors
were assumed to enter politics for only brief periods of time to impact change
within their personal professions, never fully giving up their medical careers (Glaser
1960). Perper and Cina (2010) make the case that doctors are looked upon as
father figures, helping their constituents feel safe and secure. It can be argued that
society perceives that through their wisdom and healing hands, doctor politicians
will know what is best for the country (Perper and Cina 2010). This perception
is something that some doctators have come to integrate into their worldviews
when they see themselves as the father of the state. However, despite these high
standards, doctors are not perfect, omnipotent beings. In fact, some have been
downright evil: in the contemporary political domain, Dr. Bashar Assad, President
of Syria and a trained ophthalmologist, is said to be responsible for the deaths
of more than 250,000 of his countrymen (Naylor 2015). Likewise, Dr. Radovan
Karadzic, a psychiatrist, betrayed the values of his profession and was found guilty
of genocide, war crimes, and the crimes against humanity which took place in
Srebrenica (Post 2004).
Historical Violent Conflict and Duvalier’s
Childhood Development
To better understand how a society can give way to a ruthless dictator, it is
important to assess the political environment in which the individual came
to power. However, on occasion digging deeper into a country’s history can
also provide insight into how a society may come to be bruised by a particularly
brutal past. While many countries have developed through a series of phases often
marked by war and political violence, Haiti’s development is particularly brutal
and has given way to a series of unstable governments. For this reason, an un-
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