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What's the point of being a dictator? I sometimes think of really cool stuff one should do and think: "Well you would have to be a dictator to do that.". Maybe

What's the point of being a dictator? I sometimes think of really cool stuff one should do and think: "Well you would have to be a dictator to do that.". Maybe I am indoctrinated in Western propaganda but off the top of my had I cannot come up with a cause that is worthwhile enough to pursue if you consider the negative consequences of a dictatorship. Maybe AI, space stuff or immortality - essentially the same thing. First of all I think these are overrated. The fun thing about these is the thought that "holy fuck we will actually do it!!". When it is there it will be like commercial aviation. And even if you truly want to accomplish them by all means, the best strategy I can come up with is a) get the best of the best and b) throw all your money at them. If you perform a Gleichschaltung it will definitely harm your ability to throw money. So my dictatorship would consist mostly of cost cutting, economic incentives, educational reforms, reducing administration costs - essentially what every government claims to try anyway.

zyxley 10y ago
> What's the point of being a dictator? Being able to do anything you want. > if you consider the negative consequences of a dictatorship Being a dictator generally involves not caring about the negative consequences for anyone else, while assuming that you can effectively mitigate any negative consequences for yourself.
bad_alloc 10y ago
1) Power feels awesome. You'll use your power to get more power because it feels so good to see those you hate having to bow to you. 2) Educated people are dangerous as they will almost certainly doubt the legitimacy of your rule and more importantly have the ability to plot against you. Hence they must go. I applaud your thinking, as it is empathic towards your hypothetical subjects :) However people like Erodogan do not think at such a level. Assume a primitive (but not dumb) egocentric world view in dictators. If they had empathy, they wouldn't have been able to fight to get to where they are now.
- allendoerfer 10y ago
  Power is certainly nice, but I don't need others to know that I am powerful. I find many situations are much more amusing if you do not share them with others but just acknowledge them for yourself. I think there is a purity and elaborateness to it if you don't live of the reactions of others, even if it is just situational humour or in the case of power "knowing that you could". I like it, because if you are not naturally very introverted, it takes some self-discipline. Exercising and amassing power in contrast seems like a more primitive approach to me. The true upper class does not have to show off. The true stars do not have to fish for attention. The true powerful do not need to be a dictator?
  - abrookewood 10y ago
    You should watch the TV show Narcos [0], which is about Pablo Escobar and Columbia. He has all the money and power that he could ever need, but still tries to amass more & more. It's intoxicating viewing and provides some insight into the mind of people who feel the need to rule absolutely. [0] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2707408/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2707408/
tim333 10y ago
>What's the point of being a dictator? A lot of them seem to steal money / do corrupt things first and then an attraction of being a dictator is you can live your life without going to court / jail. Erdogan wasn't so bad till the "audio recordings in which Erdogan was reportedly heard telling his son, Bilal, to urgently get rid of tens of millions of dollars." thing. Since then he's been a going bit more dictatorial.
qwertyuiop924 10y ago
Well, if you're naïve enough to think it would work, you COULD re-enact that bit in Cryptonomicon... And by that bit, I mean the bit about the sultanate, and its associated laws, obviously. Even as a dictator, you can't arrange for a networks expert to be in a prison cell adjacent to an immortal alchemist, trying to crack a WWII era code that will lead him to a secret cache of gold. :-D
kyriakos 10y ago
You don't sound like politician material. To put it in perspective Dictatorship for a politician is the equivalent of your startup taking over all your competitors and achieving monopoly. It just feels good - its absolute power for a minute or two until you start facing the consequences. Power is addictive and its human nature. Think of a dictator as a junkie looking for a better high.
taserian 10y ago
What tends to happen in dictatorships is that actions started by the dictator are seen as their ruling, not as the best course of action given the evidence (even when they provide the evidence, it's assumed to be doctored). The other part of it is that the dictator is presented with an image that has little to do with reality. Take a look at any large corporation where there's a lot of distance between the CEO and the base. If a branch knows that there'll be a visit from the CEO to their location, a massive effort is made to make it look like everything is wonderful (fresh paint, clean desks, etc.). Dictators make decisions based on what's presented, not what's actually happening. (Reminds me so much of the Paranoia RPG.)
internaut 10y ago
> So my dictatorship would consist mostly of cost cutting, economic incentives, educational reforms, reducing administration costs - essentially what every government claims to try anyway. I recommend you hire a food taster. In fact get a dozen, they're cheaper that way.

zyxley 10y ago

> What's the point of being a dictator? Being able to do anything you want. > if you consider the negative consequences of a dictatorship Being a dictator generally involves not caring about the negative consequences for anyone else, while assuming that you can effectively mitigate any negative consequences for yourself.

bad_alloc 10y ago

1) Power feels awesome. You'll use your power to get more power because it feels so good to see those you hate having to bow to you. 2) Educated people are dangerous as they will almost certainly doubt the legitimacy of your rule and more importantly have the ability to plot against you. Hence they must go. I applaud your thinking, as it is empathic towards your hypothetical subjects :) However people like Erodogan do not think at such a level. Assume a primitive (but not dumb) egocentric world view in dictators. If they had empathy, they wouldn't have been able to fight to get to where they are now.

allendoerfer 10y ago
Power is certainly nice, but I don't need others to know that I am powerful. I find many situations are much more amusing if you do not share them with others but just acknowledge them for yourself. I think there is a purity and elaborateness to it if you don't live of the reactions of others, even if it is just situational humour or in the case of power "knowing that you could". I like it, because if you are not naturally very introverted, it takes some self-discipline. Exercising and amassing power in contrast seems like a more primitive approach to me. The true upper class does not have to show off. The true stars do not have to fish for attention. The true powerful do not need to be a dictator?
- abrookewood 10y ago
  You should watch the TV show Narcos [0], which is about Pablo Escobar and Columbia. He has all the money and power that he could ever need, but still tries to amass more & more. It's intoxicating viewing and provides some insight into the mind of people who feel the need to rule absolutely. [0] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2707408/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2707408/

tim333 10y ago

>What's the point of being a dictator? A lot of them seem to steal money / do corrupt things first and then an attraction of being a dictator is you can live your life without going to court / jail. Erdogan wasn't so bad till the "audio recordings in which Erdogan was reportedly heard telling his son, Bilal, to urgently get rid of tens of millions of dollars." thing. Since then he's been a going bit more dictatorial.

qwertyuiop924 10y ago

Well, if you're naïve enough to think it would work, you COULD re-enact that bit in Cryptonomicon... And by that bit, I mean the bit about the sultanate, and its associated laws, obviously. Even as a dictator, you can't arrange for a networks expert to be in a prison cell adjacent to an immortal alchemist, trying to crack a WWII era code that will lead him to a secret cache of gold. :-D

kyriakos 10y ago

You don't sound like politician material. To put it in perspective Dictatorship for a politician is the equivalent of your startup taking over all your competitors and achieving monopoly. It just feels good - its absolute power for a minute or two until you start facing the consequences. Power is addictive and its human nature. Think of a dictator as a junkie looking for a better high.

taserian 10y ago

What tends to happen in dictatorships is that actions started by the dictator are seen as their ruling, not as the best course of action given the evidence (even when they provide the evidence, it's assumed to be doctored). The other part of it is that the dictator is presented with an image that has little to do with reality. Take a look at any large corporation where there's a lot of distance between the CEO and the base. If a branch knows that there'll be a visit from the CEO to their location, a massive effort is made to make it look like everything is wonderful (fresh paint, clean desks, etc.). Dictators make decisions based on what's presented, not what's actually happening. (Reminds me so much of the Paranoia RPG.)

internaut 10y ago

> So my dictatorship would consist mostly of cost cutting, economic incentives, educational reforms, reducing administration costs - essentially what every government claims to try anyway. I recommend you hire a food taster. In fact get a dozen, they're cheaper that way.