Authoritarianism

The Tyrant in the North archetype is not a performer but a preserver: of myth, of order, of his own supremacy. This archetype does not rise amid noise but descends with silence. It calcifies institutions, hollows out succession, and encases power in ritual. When the wheel of collective life stops turning, you will usually find a frozen king gripping its hub. The north of the wheel In Indigenous frameworks like the Plains peoples’ Medicine Wheel, the North is the realm of the elder. It represents wisdom, vision, and responsibility—the long gaze of time. The North holds the archetype of the King or Chief: the steward of legacy, the guardian of community, the one who leads from stillness. ...

In De onvoltooide rechtsstaat (The Unfinished Rule of Law), published on 4 June 2025 to mark his retirement from the Dutch Supreme Court, Ybo Buruma offers a sweeping yet pointed dissection of the Netherlands’ legal journey—and its current disintegration. Part historical reflection, part polemic, the book contends that the Dutch rule of law, once a source of pride, is now under threat from populism, political short-termism, and the perilous belief that majority rule is justice enough. ...