It would be best for world leaders to be more like Malcolm X and less like Steve Jobs.

Mao believed collective farming was the answer — 40 million Chinese people starved to death during the “great leap forward.” Stalin forced collective farming as well in the Ukraine, and 4 million people starved. Hitler’s Barbarosa — despite a peace pact with the USSR less than two years earlier — was the largest land invasion in human history. He thought it would be a cake walk. Hirohito decided to attack Pearl Harbor. He assumed America would fold and the Pacific would be his.

In my own lifetime, Saddam decided to take Kuwait’s oil fields. He was convinced no one would bother to rescue Kuwait. Bush Jr. decided to invade Iraq on the cheap (based on powers given to him by Congress). He believed it will be a easy thing to do and everyone would welcome Americans as liberators. Steve Jobs did not want to believe he needed immediate life saving liver surgery. He believed meditation and green tea would cure his liver cancer. The young dictator of North Korea starved his population to have nuclear tipped ICBMs.

As I write this today, the dictator of Turkey is crushing the lira. He believes interest rates are never good.

All these scenarios have one thing in common: a single man who had absolute control over what happens in his sphere of influence. These solitary men also had very strongly held beliefs — true or not — and refused to let go of them no matter what the cost to the people and their nation. The people around these solitary men feared (often for their lives and the lives of their children) them and told the man what he wanted to hear. In every scenario above, there were voices that pointed out the contrary but were either silenced or ignored. The supreme power of the ultimate decision maker prevails in every case.

A bright light of hope from past history: Malcolm X had strongly held beliefs — very specific and narrowly focused. On a trip abroad, he experienced a casual event that showed him his beliefs were, in part, incorrect; there were no witnesses to this event, no cameras, no CNN. He was able to self correct and change knowing it would cost him his life and devastate his family till today. He could have walked away and ignored it, but he didn’t. The honesty and courage of the man is unquestionable.

Xi Jinping today has, for only the second time in communist China’s history, supreme power. No one dare challenge his power or decisions, not even titans of industry, movie stars or tennis players. He is simply as powerful as Mao was. Like Mao, he has a deep desire to bring China to “worldwide glory” under his “wise” guidance. Like Mao, he has a deep hatred for the “West” and democracy, and despises capitalism despite the wealth it has brought China. Like Mao, he has no problem exterminating citizens who are minorities.

Since Jinping has absolute power now, no scenario involving China is “crazy.” China and Russia recently signed a de-facto military alliance. North Korea and Iran will join shortly. The “Gang of Four” will be more than the USA can handle.

One positive: Since power is in one man’s hands, it might be possible to examine a single man’s past words/actions to predict some future words/actions — much like a credit report, work history or criminal history would. We used this technique with great effect against Hitler in WWII — we knew his “buttons” and pressed them.

Thus, no scenario is “too over-the-top” anymore. This is a huge danger to America.

Today, China seemingly threatens Taiwan with invasion. It would be costly and brutal, and the crown jewel of Taiwan — their delicate, exclusive chip foundries found no place else — would be destroyed. Russia is amassing on the Ukraine border, seemingly poised for invasion.

The Donbass region hold key military factories not found in Russia itself, and Russia is reliant on these factory for its high-tech military. The Far East of Russia is 87% the size of the lower 48 states of America. This region has a population density one-fifth of the Adirondack Park. It is loaded with lithium, titanium, oil, coal and other valuable minerals. And it could give China’s 1.4 billion people some space by almost doubling the size of China. What if Jinping is not really looking to “do Taiwan” today? What if he is convinced — true or not — that he can smash-and-grab Russia’s Far East and Putin will ultimately give in? What if he believes — true or not — Russia is falling apart like it was in the 1990s and 2000s? Sounds crazy? Absolutely! But Jinping, Kim Jong-Un, Putin, Erdogan, etc. are absolute dictators with no checks and balances, nothing should be discounted.

There are countless other “insane” scenarios possible. The danger to our nation is: with absolute rulers aligning together now, as in WWII, nothing should be dismissed without some honest analysis.

I feel it’s all tin-foil-hat stuff … till it happens.

Just a thought.

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(Ira Weinberg lives in Saranac Lake)