system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do Dictators maintain power when it seems that most of the country is against them.

With what is going on in The Middle East and South America where is seems like significant portions of the county are against a particular regime, how do these dictators maintain control? I understand they have the armed forces but surely people in the respective armies must be against the dictator as well or at least have family that is demonstrating.
gpt
- Surrounding yourself with corrupt people who financially gain from your policies, and who in return provide you with "donations"

- Ensuring the wealthiest citizens benefit from your policies and are exempt from prosecution for the laws they break

- Changing laws to marginalize opposition

- Silencing journalists

- Employing state media to control the narrative

- Creating nationalist fervor through a perceived outside threat from foreigners

- Indoctrination of ideology in schoolchildren

Many countries that are not currently dictatorships have already checked off a few of these boxes, including the United States.