Donald Trump: Not worth the dollar

Political megalomania manifests in various forms, often without limits, as history has shown. The article draws parallels between different autocratic leaders and their grandiose self-perceptions and decrees. Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, for instance, adopted the official title "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and All the Fishes of the Sea, and Victor of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular."

Similarly, Romania's communist ruler Nicolae Ceaușescu pursued an obscure form of ideological contortion in 1974 by acquiring a golden royal scepter. These actions highlight a pattern of leaders seeking to solidify their absolute power and divine right through ostentatious displays and self-aggrandizing titles.

The article also points to Turkmen autocrat Saparmyrat Nyýazow, who, after undergoing heart surgery in 1997 and quitting smoking, promptly banned public smoking for all his subjects. This move exemplifies how personal decisions by authoritarian leaders can translate into sweeping public mandates, underscoring a disregard for individual freedoms in favor of the ruler's will.