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The challenge for an incompetent dictator is, then, to fool the public into thinking he is competent. He chooses from among a repertoire of tools – propaganda,

The challenge for an incompetent dictator is, then, to fool the public into thinking he is competent. He chooses from among a repertoire of tools – propaganda, repression of protests, co-optation of the elite, and censorship of their messages. All such tools cost money, which must come from taxing the citizens, depressing their living standards, and indirectly lowering their estimate of the dictator’s competence. Hence the trade-off. So these states edge towards using soft-power, influence, and PR balanced against the cost of this which must be obtained through taxes to "fool" the people into thinking the leadership is competent if it is in fact not (which if successful will be indistinguishable to the common citizen from actually being competent)? It seems that like the corrupt mafioso that edges towards legitimate business as his income swells these political systems creep towards something an awful lot like the western "democracies" we have now. As a citizen, how the hell would you be able to tell the difference?

bmelton 12y ago
The only real defense that comes to mind is to discourage every governmental attempt at obtaining power that might be, in any way, deemed coercive. This of course flies against the interests of what most people assume government to be for, and likely, makes it untenable, especially as the masses trend towards government-as-a-solution more and more.
- Frondo 12y ago
  Or, as I've said elsewhere, you can get involved. Go take part in local politics--the local stuff has more impact on your day-to-day living, and it's easier to get into and be a part of. Don't like the government you've got? Get in there and start fixing it. Resistance is irrelevant; government's there and it'll keep being there whether you try and fix it or not.
- wffurr 12y ago
  I prefer government-as-a-solution to trust-the-capitalist-oligarchs-as-a-solution. At least I get a vote with the government.
  - bmelton 12y ago
    And so do the million others who are happy to give up their privacy to the government so that it can keep them safe from terrorism.

bmelton 12y ago

The only real defense that comes to mind is to discourage every governmental attempt at obtaining power that might be, in any way, deemed coercive. This of course flies against the interests of what most people assume government to be for, and likely, makes it untenable, especially as the masses trend towards government-as-a-solution more and more.

Frondo 12y ago
Or, as I've said elsewhere, you can get involved. Go take part in local politics--the local stuff has more impact on your day-to-day living, and it's easier to get into and be a part of. Don't like the government you've got? Get in there and start fixing it. Resistance is irrelevant; government's there and it'll keep being there whether you try and fix it or not.
wffurr 12y ago
I prefer government-as-a-solution to trust-the-capitalist-oligarchs-as-a-solution. At least I get a vote with the government.
- bmelton 12y ago
  And so do the million others who are happy to give up their privacy to the government so that it can keep them safe from terrorism.