Do you think **you** can become a benevolent dictator without ever getting corrupted or turn evil?
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With my dictatorial powers .... my first action would be to seize and outlaw extreme wealth. No one would be allowed to own more than $1 million.
All the money collected would be used for government and providing a Universal Basic Income for everyone.
And I'd get a designer to make me a big fancy hat.
The shortest dictatorship in history...
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Being a dictator in and of itself is corrupt. Power and resources should be distributed amongst all equally. Vote for me for dictator.
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That is increadibly hard to do.
- How do you define what goes into that 1 million of allowed wealth? If I buy a house worth 950000, would I only be allowed to save 50000.
- what about if the house increase in value so that it is worth 2 million, should I just accept that I loose 1 million? What about stocks?
- Inflation or Deflation, when/how will you update that limit?
If you’re a dictator, surely you don’t have to justify any of your actions and just do whatever you want, right?
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This post did not contain any content.wrote last edited by [email protected]
I’d like to think so. When we read 1984 in high school, a friend and I were studying together. I remember saying (in my naïveté), “I loved the book and I get the history but why would you want to be in charge of a place that sucks?” She was like, “You’re just going to have to get used to the fact that a lot of people care about power more than beaches.”
Well, I still think those people are foolish. I’d rather be in charge of my own tiny slice of paradise than rule over some wack ass dictatorship where everyone else is miserable. Not wanting to be in charge is probably the basic pre-requisite for being a benevolent dictator. I like to cook for people and stuff. I’d use my power and wealth to do that.
That being said, I’m a dirtbag. I’d have a cool house somewhere with mountain and ocean views. Probably 3 or 4 beauty queens who also have Ms. Congeniality pageant sashes who are in charge of laughing at my jokes and charming me. No more than one or two rhythmic gymnastics teams that delight us all by throwing ribbons to each other with their feet. (Other apparatuses are cool too. Hula hoop. Clubs. Ball. Variety is the spice of life.)
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I don't believe there ever has been a benevolent dictator. Sure, some dictators resulted in some amount of positive change (though almost always limited to a very small portion of their society) I couldn't name a single person described as a dictator who didn't seize and maintain power without violence and oppression.
I don't think it's actually possible to wrest power away from the establishment and consolidate it in a single person's hands without violence.
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I'll be happy to be your evil grand vizier, if you need one.
Underrated comment, power that sits unused will get preyed on.
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If you're offering me the job, I'll give it a go. I think I'd do a shockingly great job, but even if I didn't, there is no universe where I'm as evil and incompetent as the people who are currently in charge.
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That is increadibly hard to do.
- How do you define what goes into that 1 million of allowed wealth? If I buy a house worth 950000, would I only be allowed to save 50000.
- what about if the house increase in value so that it is worth 2 million, should I just accept that I loose 1 million? What about stocks?
- Inflation or Deflation, when/how will you update that limit?
I agree with your take on this. I think 1M is way too low. But 1 Billion... It's a bit easier to imagine the "you can't or the dictatorship will seize something" idea.
The reality is that the wealthiest people usually influence the most
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Don't think it's possible per definition of the word.
If you take into account the wishes of the majority of the population what sets you apart from a constitutional monarchy?
Constitutional monarchy has a formal de jure system that guards against the "monarch" going crazy. If you are an actual "dictator", you could lose your mind oneday and start doing a genocide.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote last edited by [email protected]
What's the point of being a dictator if you can't be corrupt? The only difference is that you have to remember this simple fact:
No one gives a darn what the dictator's bank account looks like if they have full bellies, secure housing, and jobs that keep them just right balance of desperate and productive. Do those things, and they'll cheer when you build a statue of yourself. They'll be overjoyed when you get yourself a sex partner. And they'll fork over money willingly. Yes, it's easier to be feared than loved; but if you just do your job, nobody actually cares about the grift!
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I know I can but none of you power-hungry would-be tyrants better try anything funny.
Pineapple is mandatory on all pizzas
(I actually like it no joke) -
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Nobody can.
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I'd like to think I wouldn't, but my chances probably aren't any better than the average person. I don't think I'd ever get anywhere near the worst leaders in history, but I wouldn't count on me being perfectly incorruptible.
But even if I was, that wouldn't be enough. Either I'd have to run the entire government myself, which is impossible, or I'd have to reliably find other incorruptible people to work for me and replace me when I die, which will never be reliable enough. If I didn't find incorruptible people, what's to stop them getting bribed into not letting me do anything until I let the corrupt people have their way?
Corruption is easy to solve. Legalize offering bribes. Pay a large reward to anyone that can prove a bribe was accepted. Execute anyone that accepts bribes.
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I would instantly be assassinated for helping out people too much and handing too much power to workers syndicates
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This post did not contain any content.wrote last edited by [email protected]
Sure, for the low price of a lifetime pension I'll benevolently dismantle the oligarchy; ban guns; make cars luxury items; massively expand mass transit; and bring in universal health and education!
Just ignore the claims that I've actually jailed or killed my opposition; held the families of so called "freedom fighters" so they'll turn themselves and their buddies in; made travel outside your area and healthcare impossible without government approval; and completely changed the history everyone learns.
Okay that's obviously pretty extreme. Just a reminder that if you're not careful even well intentioned dictatorships can be very oppressive. And every dictatorship is on a timer to a coup or revolution. And resetting that timer is not pretty. The only way off the treadmill is to have elections again.
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Yes but I would be incompetent to the point where there's not much difference.
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Pineapple is mandatory on all pizzas
(I actually like it no joke)wrote last edited by [email protected]Me too, little bit of sweet goes well with hot peppers. I like to lay it (and sometimes the peppers) out flat on a sheet in the oven to reduce some of the moisture content with a blast of broiler at the end for a quick singe.
That's it though, no more tyranny after the pizza thing.
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If you’re a dictator, surely you don’t have to justify any of your actions and just do whatever you want, right?
You absolutely has to justify your actions, you will only be in power as long as your subordinates will follow your orders.
You can't just do whatever you want, you need to have a strategy, now doing this dictator stuff right will give you insane levels of power, but you can't just go crazy and boss everyone around from the get go, you need to reward your loyal subjects and create levels of privilege and harsh punishments for the people to enjoy and stay loyal.
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With my dictatorial powers .... my first action would be to seize and outlaw extreme wealth. No one would be allowed to own more than $1 million.
All the money collected would be used for government and providing a Universal Basic Income for everyone.
And I'd get a designer to make me a big fancy hat.
Ignore these naysayers. Tell us more about the hat.
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I'm less worried about getting corrupted and turning evil, and more about having the powerful people of the country/world go after me with all their might after I declare a transition into anarchism/socialism.
