If you were the heir to a dictator...

[MavsSuperFan]

Assume that you are the first born son to an absolute dictator, (eg. heir to Kim Jong Ill, Assad, Saddam, an absolute monarch, etc)

Your dad dies. You now have absolute power.

Would you...

A) Democratically reform your country knowing that you will have your billions of dollars nationalized and have to work a normal job. However you country becomes a real democracy and citizens are enfranchised.

B) Rule as an absolute dictator, knowing that you will have to maintain secret police and torture and kill political dissidents and crush any uprisings.

You continue to live like a king and have billions of dollars and absolute power.

[b1imtf]

B.

[MadeFromDust]

I would force every man, woman, and child to come to the palace, bend over, and get a strong butt whooping by heavy wooden paddle once a year. Other than that live long & happy, enjoy peace and prosper

[Im so nba'd out]

terrible thread from a terrible poster

[Im so nba'd out]

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/586/399/b23.gif

[ihoopallday]

Sounds like that new show on FX "Tyrant"

[MavsSuperFan]

terrible thread from a terrible poster
negged :lol

[BasedTom]

If one has absolute power, then surely they have the freedom and resources for more options than just A and B, right?

[GimmeThat]

it would depend on the relationship that of my country with the rest of the world

[InfiniteBaskets]

Assume that you are the first born son to an absolute dictator, (eg. heir to Kim Jong Ill, Assad, Saddam, an absolute monarch, etc)

Your dad dies. You now have absolute power.

Would you...

A) Democratically reform your country knowing that you will have your billions of dollars nationalized and have to work a normal job. However you country becomes a real democracy and citizens are enfranchised.

B) Rule as an absolute dictator, knowing that you will have to maintain secret police and torture and kill political dissidents and crush any uprisings.

You continue to live like a king and have billions of dollars and absolute power.

So that's what happened to the royal family in England huh? Oh wait no, they just own billions of the dollars, attend a few fundraisers open to the rich and beautiful members of society each year. I think I'd opt for that option.

[Dresta]

If you were an heir to a dictator like that you wouldn't be you, so the question is meaningless.

[miller-time]

If you were an heir to a dictator like that you wouldn't be you, so the question is meaningless.

Ok, you find out you are adopted and you are the heir to a dictator and through some loophole you are legally next in line. You are you and you are the heir. What do you choose?

[GimmeThat]

Ok, you find out you are adopted and you are the heir to a dictator and through some loophole you are legally next in line. You are you and you are the heir. What do you choose?


thank God.

and then

let my decision based upon
"the relationship that of my country with the rest of the world"

[Dresta]

Ok, you find out you are adopted and you are the heir to a dictator and through some loophole you are legally next in line. You are you and you are the heir. What do you choose?
Stay at home :confusedshrug:

I don't want that much power over people as i think no one should have it, and i'm not risking my life to bring democratic reform to a brutal and barbarised country, that would have a load of people gunning for me. You'd inevitably end up instilling oppressive tactics just to preserve your own security, and that's not for me.

[Derka]

I can only respond from the point of view of a Western educated/cultured, middle-class person, so my response will most certainly be different from that of a person who grew up in that particular climate.

That being said, the absolute power in one person's hands thing doesn't appeal to me at all, even if I'm the one holding the power.

[Inactive]

I would choose some middle path. You can't just say "we're a democracy now", hold elections, and expect to have a well functioning government. There are plenty of recent historical examples which show us that.

I think a slow transition towards greater democracy would be best for everyone. It would probably have to be a multi-generational process. You would have to try to create a greater sense of nationalism within your population. They would need to feel loyalty to the abstract concept of the nation state, rather than the person, or the dynasty that rules over them. They would need to have respect for the laws, and the traditions of the nation. They would need to have some sense of community, and responsibility for one another, derived from shared history, and/or values. In order to instill those values in the people, you would probably have to strongly control the media, and school system, so that you could feed them propaganda from an early age. But if they're going to vote on national policies at some point, you also need them to be well educated, and well informed. So, you would have to find some way to balance that out. You would probably end up limiting their access to information at an early age, in order to indoctrinate them, but when they reach university you let them learn about the real world.

Once that nationalistic democratic culture is in place, and you have a well educated population, with a strong sense of civic responsibility, who are hungry to take part in politics, you can start creating and delegating responsibilities to democratic institutions.


More to the point of the thread: Would I choose to be selfish, and hurt or kill others, but rich and powerful as a result? Or would I choose to be ordinary, and cooperate with others?

I would choose to be ordinary.

[TheReal Kendall]

C. Fvck all the virgins in my country

[zoom17]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CuAGpYMDfpM/T9CVqh_04RI/AAAAAAAAA3g/T_MYkebv4BM/s1600/aladeen.jpg