> You think the Communist commissar rewards virtue? you think a Hitler rewards virtue?
I know he meant it in a different way, but I find it makes more sense to think of political appointees as rewarding virtue. Of course, often times that virtue is simply personal fealty or loyalty to the party ideology, but I do believe that a despot rewards those he finds most virtuous -- as opposed to those that are the most productive or the most capable.
> as opposed to those that are the most productive or the most capable.
Why wouldn't he select those that are the most productive or the most capable in the context of the job he has for them? I.e. if he's looking for an enforcer that will, with an iron fist, reign in a province that's talking about self-determination a bit too loudly, will he choose someone who's very virtuous, or will he choose someone who's happy, maybe even eager, to rule with an iron fist?
Did Putin make a deal with Kadyrov because he found him virtuous, or because he found him the most capable person available at the time for the job he needed him to do?
If your appointee is charismatic, obviously competent, clearly virtuous, etc., perhaps more so than you are, then people may decide they prefer having him in your position. In that sense, a highly virtuous appointee may be a threat to a tyrant. I've seen claims that Putin has chosen some appointees where one can see that "not being a threat to Putin" was prioritized over other qualities.
I know he meant it in a different way, but I find it makes more sense to think of political appointees as rewarding virtue. Of course, often times that virtue is simply personal fealty or loyalty to the party ideology, but I do believe that a despot rewards those he finds most virtuous -- as opposed to those that are the most productive or the most capable.