The Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit, by D-HUB
Volume 04 | Narrative

Expose the betrayal

Reveal authoritarian corruption and break the spell.

The Play

Elected authoritarians often rise by promising to clean up institutions captured by corrupt elites. They claim to "eliminate the political caste" or "drain the swamp." But once in office, these moral crusaders often become secretive, self-serving, and corrupt.

The gap between their declared and practiced morality is one of their greatest vulnerability. When their corruption is exposed credibly and clearly, the story shifts from "they're fighting for us" to "they're stealing from us." It's the betrayal—not just failure—that breaks the spell, even for loyal supporters.

It's not strictly about money. It's about values. It's about how they become what they swore to fight: breaking promises, abusing trust, and showing contempt for those who once believed in them.

For this play to work, exposure must go beyond press releases. It must tell a sticky, emotional story—one that makes the betrayal feel personal. Done right, it flips the script: the authoritarian is framed as the elite, while ordinary people are left behind.

Why it works

  • Corruption is the universal deal-breaker. Across cultures, demographics, and ideologies, it's one of the few things that angers everyone.
  • Elected authoritarians campaign on moral superiority. When you show they've betrayed that image, you cut at the heart of their appeal.
  • It breaks through disinformation. While voters might shrug at policy failure or controversy, corruption hits differently. It signals selfishness and abuse of power, not strength.
  • It reframes who the "real elite" is. Instead of letting them define themselves as anti-elite outsiders, you show how they've become the corrupt elite they claim to fight against.

How it works

1. Drop the Bomb, Not the Hints

Avoid general statements like "this regime is corrupt"—they only trigger resistance among the general public and make the regime put up its defenses. Hold back that card until you find a clear emblem of betrayal—something concrete, visual, and memorable. One extravagant mansion, luxury perks, shady contracts, diverted aid. Build your narrative around that symbol, and escalate from there.

2. Make It Undeniable—Show, Don't Tell

Authoritarians survive by denying, distracting, and distorting. That's why your evidence must be rock solid: simple and irrefutable. Leaked documents, recorded audios, insider chats. And wherever possible, make it visual and emotional: luxury watches, private jets, drone footage of secret mansions, photos of cash-stuffed safes. A single image can do more than a thousand-page report. So think like a documentary filmmaker—to state it is not enough, you must show it.

3. Make it Personal

Corruption as a technical crime doesn't move people, but corruption as a story of betrayal does. Use emotional framing: "They looked us in the eye and lied." "They said they were one of us—but then they robbed us." Tap into shared values and the feeling of personal violation. Betrayal hits harder than wrongdoing. It isn't just about broken laws—it's about broken trust.

4. Elevate Relatable Messengers

The messenger matters as much as the message. Journalists and opposition leaders have their role—but the most powerful voices are former believers. Disillusioned insiders, betrayed supporters, everyday people who once trusted and now feel let down. Use their stories. Their disappointment feels authentic and resonates widely. When they speak out, you can frame their shift to signal something bigger: "It's okay to walk away too."

5. Connect to Real-life Harm

Make the consequences of their corruption tangible. "They stole public funds" feels abstract. Instead, state: "They stole your local hospital." "Your neighborhood school was never built." Show that corruption creates a huge cost in lives, dignity, and lost futures. This makes the scandal hit close to home, not just feel like another political issue.

6. Reclaim the Moral High Ground

Don't just tear them down—lift up your own example. Model integrity, transparency, and humility. If you've made mistakes, acknowledge them first. If your team has a clean record or principled candidates, put them front and center. That reframes the conversation: it is not just about corruption, but about who truly deserves the public's trust.

7. Anchor the Play in a Value-based Narrative

Make this bigger than a scandal and tie the corruption to the erosion of democracy itself. Connect the dots between corruption and the broader authoritarian project: weakening checks and balances, silencing oversight, stealing from the future. The betrayal isn't just personal—it's systemic, and it goes beyond party lines. It's about what's right and what's rotten.

Tips

A. Be Surgical, Not Screechy

Outrage is valid—but too much noise can sound partisan or theatrical. Let the evidence, the betrayal, and the consequences speak for themselves. Stay focused: authoritarians lied, they abused power, they stole from citizenship. Aim for clarity, not volume. You're exposing systemic rot, not resenting personal wealth.

B. Corruption Is (Only) One Entry Point

This play is powerful, but not self-sufficient. It works best when paired with a broader pro-democracy message: inclusion, fairness, and a positive vision of tomorrow. Corruption grabs attention—but values win hearts. Use the scandal to open a deeper conversation. Show not just what's broken, but what's worth building instead.

Who's done it well?

Russia: Alexei Navalny

The Palace that broke the spell

In 2021, Alexei Navalny and his Anti-Corruption Foundation released a bombshell investigation: Putin's Palace, a nearly two-hour documentary that exposed a $1.3 billion secret residence on the Black Sea.

The residence was allegedly built for Vladimir Putin through a network of corrupt deals, front men, and shell companies. The film exploded online, garnering over 100 million views on YouTube within its first week, and became one of the most-watched Russian-language political videos in history.

Moreover, its impact went far beyond views. Navalny shattered Putin's carefully curated image as a modest nationalist, revealing instead a self-serving autocrat living in secretive extravagance. Gold-trimmed furniture, a pole-dancing room, an underground ice rink, vineyards, and private security—all while ordinary Russians faced poverty and pandemic pressures—laid bare the betrayal at the heart of the regime.

Navalny's team anchored their story in visual and emotional storytelling, combining drone footage, architectural diagrams, bank records, and insider testimony. Navalny narrated the film with a populist and personal tone, mocking Putin's hypocrisy while inviting viewers to share in the indignation.

The outrage ignited a wave of protests not seen in Russia in years. In January 2021, tens of thousands took to the streets in over 100 cities, many of them young people who had grown up under Putin's rule. The chant "Putin is a thief" echoed across Russia—amplifying Navalny's message far beyond the documentary itself.

"The palace was not just a building, but a symbol of twenty years of Putin's rule. A symbol of what he considers acceptable, of what he considers his own."

Philippines: Leni Robredo

A sharp contrast to Duterte

In the shadow of Duterte's brutal populism, Leni Robredo ran a 2022 presidential campaign rooted in integrity, transparency, and public service. While Duterte's allies were exposed for misusing COVID-19 funds—such as the overpriced medical supply contracts revealed in the Pharmally scandal—Robredo's team built a clear moral contrast. They didn't just expose wrongdoing—they modeled the alternative.

Her campaign emphasized her modest lifestyle, community-based pandemic response, and decades of principled leadership. A decentralized, volunteer-led movement known as the "kakampinks" energized her campaign from the ground up—mobilizing through art, house visits, community kitchens, and creative messaging.

The contrast struck a nerve. While Duterte's overall approval ratings remained high, he did suffer a dip after the corruption scandal, and public trust dropped sharply, from 77% in September 2020 to 52% a year later, at the height of the spending controversy.

"How can these people sleep at night? When many Filipinos are suffering; their mind is on making money."

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