4 ms·
What's an example of a good "dictator"? I can think of are individuals who willingly gave up power or set up a democratic system after they left, i.e., George
by enkid 4y ago
What's an example of a good "dictator"? I can think of are individuals who willingly gave up power or set up a democratic system after they left, i.e., George Washington, Ataturk, etc. I can't think of a single historical example where someone actually improved the people's situation in their country, but that could be my bias when I think of someone who is good or my ignorance.
- waswaswas 4y agoLee Kuan Yew comes to mind: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Kuan_Yew https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Kuan_Yew
- wayne 4y agoI've often heard Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore cited as an example. As usual, there's a Wikipedia article listing some others: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benevolent_dictatorship https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benevolent_dictatorship
- lordgrenville 4y agoWithout meaning to start a flamewar, I'd give a shout to Napoleon. Took over when France was in chaos, and turned it into a wealthy powerhouse, spread Enlightenment values, built incredible cultural treasurehouses. He was a great general and administrator and leader. Yes, some of the family members he appointed to run parts of the empire weren't great, nor were his successors. And yes, invading Russia was a mistake. But still seems a good example of "rolling the dictator dice". (Relevant disclosure: I'm not French.)