Dictators - Could there ever be a GOOD one?

[commie kg]

I was just thinking, if a dictator was actually a good guy who loved his people and only wanted the best for them, wouldn't that almost be better than democracy?

From what I've observed, democracy creates divisions in the people, and no progress is ever achieved. The opposing parties just undo the progress of the party in power before them. This just goes on and on.

I am NOT saying that I am a Stalinist or anything, this is just something I began to think about today after a lecture in my history class.

What do you think?

[Beccie]

NO!

A dictator is probably always going to be corrupted by power. Absolute power in the hands of one person can never be good no matter how much the person “loves his people”

Although many Capitalist countries claim to be liberal democratic, they are usually not democratic at all. Liberalism closely accompanied the rise of the economic system, Capitalism (the source of the divisions you were talking about). Democracy had to mold itself around the liberal tradition that already existed in now liberal-democratic countries and in the process was liberalized. The divisions already existed.

Liberal-democratic countries are not democratic at all.

[redstar2000]

I think the myth of a "good king" has probably been around since the earliest days of class society...and still has considerable appeal to this day.

It probably has something to do with the way we raise children; if you grow up believing in benevolent parental authority, it's pretty easy to extend that to political life.

In other words, the wish for a "good king" or, in modern terms, a "benevolent dictator" is really a wish for the utter irresponsibility of childhood.

To take an active role in political life is to "put away childish things."

:cool:

[Invader Zim]

Good dictators hold many of the characteristics of god...

- they are both benevolant,

- they are both wise

- they are both imaginary.

(Edited by AK47 at 9:07 pm on May 8, 2003)

[Dirty Jersey]

absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[Klondike]

Dictators
Could there ever be a GOOD one?

NO!!

The people must have a chance to speak and make decisions for themselves. There is absolutely no one that has the right to have any power over anyone [adult] else. Where is the justification for this power? Is it in money? Is it divine? Is it military? The only way for all the people's voice's to be truly heard is to entirely supress the bourgeoisie and all means of oppression, the creating a perfectly democratic workers' state. No dictator can act in the name of the people. No dictator can claim to always act in the interest of the people. No "vanguard party" can claim to rule in representation of the worker. If someone is given power, that power will be used to generate more power.

[Blibblob]

About the power corupting thing:

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptable. Such people have a tendency to become drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."
Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986), Chapterhouse Dune, Missionaria Protectiva

I personally rather agree with that one. Like the other proverb: "Knowledge is power" It's not, it only holds the potential to make one powerful.

[Urban Rubble]

What about Castro ?

[Subcomandante Marcos]

Lets take Aristoteles for a while, he made a cicle (it goes from Democracy to total chaos to Monarchy to Tyranny to Aristocracy to the government of the richest and again to democracy), in the Cicle Monarchy is the government of The Best, and then it degenerates into a tyranny The Evil, so there is a difference between this two.

Also democracy is not the holy grail, it is the less worse of all of the political systems.

[atlanticche]

the only answer is toi have a group of faithful dictators to their party there would have to be quite a few of them but they could handle the power and not turn to corruption
a single dictatorship will never work
but there would then have to be two groups creating a hierarchy ruling out the communist idea

[WUOrevolt]

There could possibly be a good dictitator but I don't think that would ever happen.

[GCusack]

a good Dictator....erm...no! For that to happenen he/she needs someone there to kepp them grounded and so they do not have absolute power!

[peaccenicked]

Probably strictly speaking the answer is yes, but only on a temperorary basis . Democracy is after all the dictatorship of the majority. The majority is usually headed by a party leader. If we have to differentiate between bourgeois dictatorship and bourgeios democracy. If a dictator opposes US foriegn policy. It does not make dictorship good but it puts him on my side of the fence for a while.

[GCusack]

I still do not think that absolute power can arrive and you still have a benine dictator! H.I.M. Haille Sallassie was probably the closest to a benine dictator! He did not rule with tyranny, however, I dont think he had absolute control over Ethiopia either! But he was the closest!

[Dhul Fiqar]

Selassie didn't really do all that much except give some good speeches, organize resistance against Italy, and live the royal life. There was a distinct lack of any progress, he spent much of his time in beautiful gardens feeding high quality steaks to his pet lions while people starved around his palace...

I'm not saying he was a bad man, I just think it wasn't all that great for the average man who had to live under his rule.

--- G.

[GCusack]

I see ur point and yeah u r right but I still think he's the closest there has ever been to a Benine Dictator! Probably because he didnt do much!

[Nobody]

Well, as far as dicators go, I heard Field Marshell Tito was that bad of a guy. He go famous fighting nazis (a plus in my book) and was indepently wealth before assuming power. So he did not steal from the country like Saddam did, so stuff got done. Then again he ruled with an iron fist, hence the country fell apart when he died and a less capable ruler, Meloshivick, came to power.

[RGacky3]

Castro!

[apathy maybe]

Quote: from Dirty Jersey on 7:21 am on May 9, 2003
absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The quote is
"power corrupts and absolute power is even more fun"

[Palmares]

I think a good dictator is possible, but not really likely. But Castro certainly is different, he is a great man.

I don't know much about this, but supposedly the Sultan of Brunei is very knid and generous, not that I would live there.

[Oliver]

the mention of Castro proves a lot of you wrong.

[Palmares]

Quote: from Oliver on 7:16 am on May 27, 2003
the mention of Castro proves a lot of you wrong.

Indeed he does. He is not perfect, but he shows that it is not impossible. What do people think of the Sultan of Brunei?

[Pete]

By calling Castro a dictator you make me laugh :D

[Vinny Rafarino]

dictator

Dic*ta"tor, n. [L.] 1. One who dictates; one who prescribes rules and maxims authoritatively for the direction of others. --Locke.

2. One invested with absolute authority; especially, a magistrate created in times of exigence and distress, and invested with unlimited power.

Would anyone say that Castro has absolute authourity and unlimited power?

What do you all think?

(Edited by COMRADE RAF at 5:19 am on May 28, 2003)

[fascism101]

I'm going to be a good dictator when i get older. If people dont obey me, ill just lock them up in one room for 5 weeks with cement bricks tied to their legs and about 20 bags of cheetos and 2 12 packs of coke....see thats nice. and ill even put a tv in that room. :). lol.haha. it sounds like a good idea to me...lol. okay, im stupid sorry.:(

[Nobody]

I don't think Castro has unlimited power. Firstly, aren't there anti-Castro fighters in some mountains? Secondly, Castro does not have the infrastructure to have complete control over his own people. He can't afford the military to enforce his every wish, nor dies he have the able to dominate every moment of everyone's life with state media, heck, the country is very rural, they don't have enough t.v.'s to get enough propograda.

[Vinny Rafarino]

Agreed. He is also an elected official.

[canikickit]

I'm not saying he was a bad man, I just think it wasn't all that great for the average man who had to live under his rule.

I think if we were to examine it further we could easily come to the conclusion that he was a bad man. A capitalist emporer decended from Solomon? No thanks.

[Dirty Commie]

Quote: from Cthenthar on 11:07 pm on May 26, 2003

Quote: from Oliver on 7:16 am on May 27, 2003
the mention of Castro proves a lot of you wrong.

Indeed he does. He is not perfect, but he shows that it is not impossible. What do people think of the Sultan of Brunei?


I think that he is the richest man in Asa, wears Italian suits, owns a helluva lot of oil, and gives free education, free health care, social security to his few people, he aint bad, he's better than most, but he is a cappie, but a good one.

[ravengod]

i think tehre can be a good dictator
this is a delicate problem in fact
if one man in one state fulfils the wish of his subjects even if there are no other parties and so on is that to be blamed?
no way
there can be a human messiah
what if so far no one has been one? this doesn t mean ther couldn t be one...

[Bianconero]

First of all, what is "good" and what is "evil" anyway? We would probably all define these terms differently. Batista surely was a "good" dictator for the United States, for the Mafia, for the ruling class whereas he wasn't good for the workers. Pretty clear. But then, even in the leftist movement there have always been different approaches to problems, there have been different views on issues concerning for example foreign affairs.

Now I think that overthrowing the dictatorship of the capitalist class is only possible by installing the dictatorship of the workers. However, I think that within the leftist movement democracy should be established even in times of proletarian dicatorship. Within the party, elections should be held, workers should discuss with their leaders and the leaders of the movement should talk with the workers and, most importantly, listen to them.

Bottom line is that democracy should exist within the leftist movement, within the Socialist/Marxist/Communist Party. However, views clearly representing a problem/danger to the movement should not be tolerated.