NationStates Jolt Archive

Admittedly, there have been a few (though not many) good dictators in history, who, although autocrats, ruled relatively benignly and humanely, at least, in comparison to other dictators. So: who is your favorite benevolent dictator of all time? And please choose someone who's actually benevolent, not just someone you like.

My favorite benevolent dictator would either be Lee Kuan Yew, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, or Jomo Kenyatta.

Castro: he makes really good cigars and really doesn't care when we try to take over his country with dissenters in a very poorly planned and executed invasion.
On the down side, there are boatloads of immigrants coming into Florida from Cuba.
On the plus side, I don't live in Florida, so I don't care.

Admittedly, there have been a few (though not many) good dictators in history, who, although autocrats, ruled relatively benignly and humanely, at least, in comparison to other dictators. So: who is your favorite benevolent dictator of all time? And please choose someone who's actually benevolent, not just someone you like.

My favorite benevolent dictator would either be Lee Kuan Yew, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, or Jomo Kenyatta.

The Pope.

Now before you recoil, think aboit it. Vatican City is a sovereign nation. The Pope is the ruler of the Vatican. He rules for life, even though he is not nobility and not a monarch. He's a dictator. Albeit, a relatively benevolent one. As long as you do what he says God says. :p

The Pope.
Now before you recoil, think aboit it. Vatican City is a sovereign nation. The Pope is the ruler of the Vatican. He rules for life, even though he is not nobility and not a monarch. He's a dictator. Albeit, a relatively benevolent one. As long as you do what he says God says. :p
But he might call in the Swiss Guard on you! :eek:

Kahta.

Either Augustus Ceaser, Lykugos of Sparta or King Henry II.

I liked Queen Elizabeth the I also.

Octavian

Augustus Caesar was pretty fecking awesome, yeah.

Well, Kekkonen was a good president (of Finland). But he was not legally a dictator; people just did what he told them without any need for any secret police crap. Pure personal authority. It's rare, but it happens.

Queen Christina of Sweden, despite her latter defection to the evils of Catholicism. Her quirkiness and eccentricities made up for that, and were ultimately its causatives.

"Benevolent dictator" is an oxymoron. :p

"Benevolent dictator" is an oxymoron. :p

*points to previous post about the pope*

He looks pretty benevolent. Especially for a religious leader and dictator.

He looks pretty benevolent.

Oh, yes, the pope. It's not like they had the inquisition, or the one who is pope now wasn't a Nazi, or anything. Oh, the benevolence - I can just feel it squirting all over my face.

*points to previous post about the pope*

He looks pretty benevolent. Especially for a religious leader and dictator.
Uh ... you can't be a dictator when all those to whom you supposedly dictate live under other forms of government. :p

Catholics are notorious for ignoring anything the Pope says with which they disagree.

Augustus/octavius are the same person.
octavius changed his name to augustus after he became dictator.
and he SUCKED!!!!!

Admittedly, there have been a few (though not many) good dictators in history, who, although autocrats, ruled relatively benignly and humanely, at least, in comparison to other dictators. So: who is your favorite benevolent dictator of all time? And please choose someone who's actually benevolent, not just someone you like.

My favorite benevolent dictator would either be Lee Kuan Yew, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, or Jomo Kenyatta.

Castro isn't really a dictator (modern sense), so I will choose Kadafi. He is a nice guy.

Castro isn't really a dictator (modern sense), so I will choose Kadafi. He is a nice guy.
Son, you are seriously, seriously reality-challenged. Castro is most definitely a dictator, and Mommar is a fruitcake. :headbang:

Idi Amin

That guy had style. He was a war hero who fought for the British, he was his country's boxing title holder for some time, and God spoke to him. Also he declared himself king of Scotland. Plus he may have been a cannibal. With so many crazy and admirable traits how can you not consider him the best benevolent dictator?

Lee Kuan Yew
August Pinochet
Chiang Kai Shek
Felix Houphouet Boigny

Son, you are seriously, seriously reality-challenged. Castro is most definitely a dictator, and Mommar is a fruitcake. :headbang:


I am not saying he is not. But Castro is a "roman" dictator: he has dictatorial power because there is a REAL state of emergency ( you know which country is responsible for that).

Stop watching that JAG television thing. Kadafi doesn't drink blood.

Stop watching that JAG television thing. Kadafi doesn't drink blood.
I wouldn't watch JAG if my LIFE depended on it! ICK!

God :)

Chuck Norris's beard.

I wouldn't watch JAG if my LIFE depended on it! ICK!

Well...Lt. Col. Sarah is pretty hot.

Oh, yes, the pope. It's not like they had the inquisition, or the one who is pope now wasn't a Nazi, or anything. Oh, the benevolence - I can just feel it squirting all over my face. ^Funniest post in days! Thanks!

Chuck Norris's beard.^ Close second!!!

Well...Lt. Col. Sarah is pretty hot.
Anybody who watches a mainstream television show or movie because a hot chick is in it, is officially an asshat. That’s why God invented porn, people!

Hmm, some of these choices don't make too much sense:

You are all aware that a dictator is someone who becomes an absolute authority through legal means right?

And Octavian didn't suck.

EDIT: Whoops, I guess my first choice isn't really BENEVOLENT.

Hmm, I'd have to say, Fredreich the Great!

Lee Kuan Yew
August Pinochet
Chiang Kai Shek
Felix Houphouet Boigny
Pinochet??? You've got to be kidding me right? He is a bloodthirsty animal and mass murderer.

Robert Mugabé. He's benevolent to his tribe.. hey! That counts!

Anybody who watches a mainstream television show or movie because a hot chick is in it, is officially an asshat. That’s why God invented porn, people!

Yea, but these are hotter chicks. I really love how all moms in television shows nowadays are MILFS, it is just so fucking sweet.

Chuck Norris's beard. I second that!

Who couldn't forget Singapore's Lee Family Junta?

Castro isn't really a dictator (modern sense), so I will choose Kadafi. He is a nice guy.

Fidel Castro is not a dictator? Please tell that to my family members former Cuban political prisoners, Fidel Castro of Cuba President Dictator for life over 47 years and counting.

Where if you disagree with any government policy you can be harassed by organized pro government mobs, imprisoned, executed, or exiled if your lucky.

Where you are not allowed a personal home computer with a site like Nationstates to discuss, debate, argue and share your diffrent political, economic and social points of views.

Dictator Fidel Castro benevolent Dictator?

Oh, yes, the pope. It's not like they had the inquisition, or the one who is pope now wasn't a Nazi, or anything. Oh, the benevolence - I can just feel it squirting all over my face.
Maybe it's the two bottles of wine, but I snorted when I read this. :D

I agree (to my astonishment) with Eutrusca that there is no such thing as a "benevolent dictator."

To the extent that such a thing exists, I will have to choose Fidel Castro, even though he is a devotee of pseudosocialist authoritarian statism.

I agree (to my astonishment) with Eutrusca that there is no such thing as a "benevolent dictator."

To the extent that such a thing exists, I will have to choose Fidel Castro, even though he is a devotee of pseudosocialist authoritarian statism.

How is Castro pseudosocialist? He has the entire economy under the total control of the government and regulated to death.

How is Castro pseudosocialist? He has the entire economy under the total control of the government and regulated to death.

My expectation is that you know exactly how I will respond, and seek merely to pick a fight, pointlessly. Thus, any reply to this post, unless it raises points that are interesting and not repetitions of the typical, ceaselessly repeated arguments, is unlikely to receive a reply.

Essentially, socialism is a prescription containing two chief elements:

1. The ownership and control of the means of production by the producers, and with that the abolition of capitalist economic exploitation;
2. The direction of the economy towards broad social goals aiming at meeting human needs instead of individual profits.

The argument could be made that Castro's Cuba meets (2), but its authoritarian and undemocratic structure means that it does not fulfill (1).

My expectation is that you know exactly how I will respond, and seek merely to pick a fight, pointlessly. Thus, any reply to this post, unless it raises points that are interesting and not repetitions of the typical, ceaselessly repeated arguments, is unlikely to receive a reply.

Essentially, socialism is a prescription containing two chief elements:

1. The ownership and control of the means of production by the producers, and with that the abolition of capitalist economic exploitation;
2. The direction of the economy towards broad social goals aiming at meeting human needs instead of individual profits.

The argument could be made that Castro's Cuba meets (2), but its authoritarian and undemocratic structure means that it does not fulfill (1).

Thanks. I wasn't looking for a fight, just a clarification (which you provided).

Uh ... you can't be a dictator when all those to whom you supposedly dictate live under other forms of government. :p

Catholics are notorious for ignoring anything the Pope says with which they disagree.

He was referring to the fact that the Pope is Head of State of the sovereign nation of the Vatican, and that he's not elected by the citizens of the Vatican. Hence, he is a dictator, making the Vatican one of Europe's few non-democratic nations. ;)

In answer to the thread, I'd have to say Fidel Castro. As dictatorships go, his is by far the most benevolent I can think of. A dictator who sincerely cares for his people is and always has been rather unusual.

Chuck Norris's beard.


Blasphemy!

Chuck rules the beard...the beard does not rule Chuck, although Chucks beard, does certainly rule.

Fidel Castro.

Well, I'm not saying I support him on everything, I definetly don't. But even if I strongly disagree with some of the methods he is using (even if I can understand that he is in a very difficult situation), he's benevolent, and really does his best for his people, granting them housing, high quality health care, good education, ...

And not only to his people, remember that Cuba is the country of the world with the highest number of doctors helping third world countries. Just think about the Operation Miracle: one millions of south american will have their eyesight restored freely thanks to the cooperation of Cuba and Venezuela. Imagine how wonderful this is, you're blind and poor, without any hope of ever seeing again, and then some people offer you to cure you freely, just because they think every human being deserve health care !

Sure, doing such wonderful things don't allow him to suppress the freedom of press... but we're speaking of the best of dictators here, and Castro definitely is. Also remember that he doesn't use torture, that he doesn't use death squads, that he doesn't have goulag-like working camps, ... so even only by his "dictator" side, he's among the less bad of them.

Mussolini. He made the trains run on time.

How is Castro pseudosocialist? He has the entire economy under the total control of the government and regulated to death.

Which is not the meaning of socialism ;)

Socialism means that the means of production are controlled by the workers, or by the people. State-control can be a way to reach this (like in Venezuela, when Chavez expropriate corporations who violates the law, the factories become state-owned, but the decisions are taken by the people who work in it, in a direct democracy way; or if the state is really democratic), but it's not, in itself socialism.

So yes, Castro is doing pseudosocialism: the people are not realy in control of the economy, but the governement is making the economy to serve the people (health care, food, housing, education, hurricane safety, ... first) and not to serve the personnal interests of a tiny few. Pseudosocialism fits very well for that.

Augustus Caeser...up till the point where he was assasinated, he was great.

Mussolini, I may not argee with everything, but I do like his nationalism. He also wanted Italy to be the country it could have been, for the betterment of his people.

Don´t know if he can truly be considered a dictator, but as far as unelected leaders go, my vote is on Ludwig 2. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II).

Augustus Caeser...up till the point where he was assasinated, he was great.

Augustus wasn't assasinated, he died from a sudden fever. It's Gaius Julius Caesar who was assasinated.

My favourite dictators are Trajan and Hadrian.

Augustus Caeser...up till the point where he was assasinated, he was great.

wtf mate? Julius Caesar was assassinated, Augustus lived a long life and died of natural causes. And whilst Julius undoubtedly won the support of the people, it was Augustus who ensured the position of Imperator (dictator-for-life) should be based around benevolence towards the Roman people, not through threats of violence.

There's a strong argument for the neccessity of a single leader of Rome at this time; civil wars had been tearing at the stability of the city since the early first century BC, and what the people wanted was an end to that state of affairs, something that could only happen through someone taking direct control - and exercising power fairly.

Sadly for Rome, Augustus' successors would not always live up to his high standard. Although Claudius and Marcus Aurelius (yes, him from Gladiator) were notable high points, along with a few other soldier emperors. Many of the rest were characterised by despotic rule ending in assassinations, riots, civil wars, and the declaration of a new emperor, typically a general put in place by his own men. Rome's overextension of its territories - and its inability to defend them - meant it became too large and fractured to govern well.

Incidentally, any Christian here should be profoundly grateful for the very concept of a benevolent dictator. Without the 'conversion' of Constantine, Christianity would have remained an insignificant offshoot of Judaism that was already tearing itself apart. Constantine made the religion the effective religion of state, something he could only do because he has seized power through violent means. Arguably, he could also be called a tyrant - as his succession was not legal and he took power through force - but the powers he exercised were those of a dictator in any case.

Oh, yes, the pope. It's not like they had the inquisition, or the one who is pope now wasn't a Nazi, or anything. Oh, the benevolence - I can just feel it squirting all over my face.
What about JP2? He was a nice guy.

August Pinochet
Chiang Kai Shek

Are you serious when you call these people benevolent dictators? Pinochet is responsible for thousands of deaths and disappearances. Chiang is responsible for millions of deaths.

Gorby.

Or Tito.

Or Pope John XXIII.

How about Canute the Great?

Mussolini, I may not argee with everything, but I do like his nationalism. He also wanted Italy to be the country it could have been, for the betterment of his people.

Then again, so do most non-benevolent dictators ...

He's not completely good, but, as dictators go, I've seen many worse than Bashar al-Assad.

Mussolini, I may not argee with everything, but I do like his nationalism. He also wanted Italy to be the country it could have been, for the betterment of his people.
I despise Nationalism, and only a mental retard could be a fan of his fascism.

Just a few great minds in history:

Kim Jung III
Pol Pot
Stalin


Though my favourite would have to be Cleopatra.
Yup. She looks nice :D .

lolololololol






:rolleyes:

Augustus Caeser...up till the point where he was assasinated, he was great.

Well done.:) And the last time you picked up a history book was?

Fidel Castro.

Well, I'm not saying I support him on everything, I definetly don't. But even if I strongly disagree with some of the methods he is using (even if I can understand that he is in a very difficult situation), he's benevolent, and really does his best for his people, granting them housing, high quality health care, good education, ...

And not only to his people, remember that Cuba is the country of the world with the highest number of doctors helping third world countries. Just think about the Operation Miracle: one millions of south american will have their eyesight restored freely thanks to the cooperation of Cuba and Venezuela. Imagine how wonderful this is, you're blind and poor, without any hope of ever seeing again, and then some people offer you to cure you freely, just because they think every human being deserve health care !

Sure, doing such wonderful things don't allow him to suppress the freedom of press... but we're speaking of the best of dictators here, and Castro definitely is. Also remember that he doesn't use torture, that he doesn't use death squads, that he doesn't have goulag-like working camps, ... so even only by his "dictator" side, he's among the less bad of them.

Kilobugya and others, As I have posted I stand by my post,
I once saw on national tv news, a news confrence by Jesse Jackson in the USA giving praise to Fidel Castro for turning over to him a group of political prisoners, one of the political prisoners who spoke english, took off his shirt on national TV and showed the people his scars and wounds as a poliitical prisoner.

I will keep trying to find the link or a news story on this subject, I stand by my post.

Also, a family member of mine, was a former Cuban political prisoner, he helped found a house in Venezuela before Hugo Chavez, that has helped thousands of former Cuban political prisoners as well as other Cubans, emigrate and settle in Venezuela and or continue to other nations mostly the USA.

The house helped another family member of mine not a political prisoner emigrate to Venezuela then Miami, USA, after I lost $ 3,000 Dollars trying to get visas and paper work in order, for him, his wife and 2 young sons in a scam, by a man with an Argentine or Spaniard accent, as I grew more suspicious, and asked certain questions, the man and the office grew suspicious and disapeared with my money and 100 's of other Cuban Americans money.

I redoubled my efforts after this incident, when my family member wrote me a letter saying please get me, my wife and two young sons out of this hell hole, that is the way he put it on the letter, keep in mind that I and my family also once lived in that hell hole paradise of Cuba.

Through the help of this other relative through the house for Cuban and non Cuban political prisoners I was able to get both Venenzuelan and USA visas for them, which cost me more $ money, as a gratitude for thier help I donated $ 1,000 Dollars to the house.

I also visited Venezuela before Hugo Chavez to welcome and help settle my family members, I maintained them economically while they were there.

I and my family have never regretted the $ cost to get them out of that Cuba paradise island government.

I have been trying to find some up to date information on this house through the internet, to see if Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has closed it down or not, and how the house is doing now today.

The political prisoner that spoke english and took off his shirt and showed his tortured scars, said I cannot stand by any-longer and hear praise of Fidel.

I stand by my post and will keep trying to find a link or newspaper story on this subject.

You should have seen Jesse Jacksons face full of anger.

Oh, yes, the pope. It's not like they had the inquisition, or the one who is pope now wasn't a Nazi, or anything. Oh, the benevolence - I can just feel it squirting all over my face.

You seem to forget that all children were forced to join the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany.

The pope was no Nazi, you idiot.

Although Claudius and Marcus Aurelius (yes, him from Gladiator) were notable high points, along with a few other soldier emperors.

In the latter case, I'd say any of the Five Good Emperors, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.

And by the way, all countries should be -stans!


And to the above poster, I don't think there is any evidence the pope was not sympathetic to the nazi propaganda while in Hitler Youth, only his word, which is not good enough for everyone. Likewise though, there is no evidence he was. But given that children are uber-brainwashable, I think it much more likely he was.

The political prisoner that spoke english and took off his shirt and showed his tortured scars, said I cannot stand by any-longer and hear praise of Fidel.

I stand by my post and will keep trying to find a link or newspaper story on this subject.

Please, stop ranting about facts you don't have a single tiny proof about, and that no human right organisation, even those who most strongly oppose Castro, do speak of.

You're just losing all credibility.

You seem to forget that all children were forced to join the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany.

The pope was no Nazi, you idiot.

Quite true, however his first words as Pope wer "when I was in the Hitler youth". I could just see the 'tache growing as he spoke...:p

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai. It's one of the only nations in the Middle East that doesn't derive its income from oil, and one of the most economiclly developed and open to foreigners.

Emperor Zog of Albania.

In the 1930s Mussolini practically owned it, yet invaded it anyway to try and match Hitler's foreign policy achievements. Alright I conceed that he lost to a crap army trying to outdo another crap army at the time but the name, what a name!

Quite true, however his first words as Pope wer "when I was in the Hitler youth". I could just see the 'tache growing as he spoke...:p
I sincerely doubt those were his first words as pope.

I sincerely doubt those were his first words as pope.

Of course not. He started with "God Allmighty, when I was in the Hitler youth" :p .

Admittedly, there have been a few (though not many) good dictators in history, who, although autocrats, ruled relatively benignly and humanely, at least, in comparison to other dictators. So: who is your favorite benevolent dictator of all time? And please choose someone who's actually benevolent, not just someone you like.

Lady Jane Grey? Maybe not actively benevolent, but her complete lack of weilding any political power whatsoever makes her considerably less malignant than many.

He was referring to the fact that the Pope is Head of State of the sovereign nation of the Vatican, and that he's not elected by the citizens of the Vatican. Hence, he is a dictator, making the Vatican one of Europe's few non-democratic nations. ;)

Ignoring the whole 'elected by the College of Cardinals' malarky here, are we?

Just a few great minds in history:

Kim Jung III
Pol Pot
Stalin


Though my favourite would have to be Cleopatra.
Yup. She looks nice :D .

I'll just take that entire post as being a *really* bad joke. :rolleyes:

Oh, yes, the pope. It's not like they had the inquisition, or the one who is pope now wasn't a Nazi, or anything. Oh, the benevolence - I can just feel it squirting all over my face.

He wasn't a nazi, he was hitler youth, basicly a boy scout for fascists.

Octavian
I don't think that the term "benevolent" can be applied to someone who had hundreds of people executed. Although I suppose it was all for "the good of Rome".

Tito.

You seem to forget that all children were forced to join the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany.

The pope was no Nazi, you idiot.

Please don't flame in my thread, even if it was flamebait you were responding to.

to the best of my knowledge (though if you can PROVE me wrong i'll be only intersted rather then annoyed) the hitler youth wasn't compulsory at the time he was in it. It was the only youth movement at the time though.

Oliver Cromwell, coolest dictator of all times (and to be fair he did try democracy everyso often).

Marcus Aurelius
Octavian Caeser "Augustus"
...
No one beats "Little Boots" Caligula though :D

I might note that Augustus/Octavian's death was suspicious, but that conversation is way over.

How about Carolus Magnus?

How about Carolus Magnus?

Benevolent? Let me guess: you do not live in Saxony or Lombardy.

Ok, there were drawbacks, but he was not altogether malevolent.

and the Caesar lovers are forgetting Gaul.

Elizabeth I

and the Caesar lovers are forgetting Gaul.

There you go: Tito (my vote went to him) never had such problems. Even his persecutions can be excused by contemporary justice - he imprisoned (and killed some) Nazis, Chetniks, and Stalinists.

Vote Tito.

Vote Tito.


Vote? :rolleyes:

and the Caesar lovers are forgetting Gaul.

You Gaul lovers are forgetting Teutonberg Forrest...poor Varus *shakes head* Nevermind that was Germany, like the French could ever win a battle. ;) it's a joke btw

You Gaul lovers are forgetting Teutonberg Forrest...poor Varus *shakes head* Nevermind that was Germany, like the French could ever win a battle. ;) it's a joke btw


"Vae Victis!"

Vote? :rolleyes:
Yeah. For president. For life.

The Yugoslavs did it, and they_ I realize this is heading nowhere.

There is no such thing as a benevolent dictator,
dictator Augusto Pinochet of Chile and
dictator Fidel Castro for life of Cuba
for exsamples.

Thomas Sankara.

Castro doesn't qualify, he is no more a dictator than Bush or Blair.

Thomas Sankara.

Castro doesn't qualify, he is no more a dictator than Bush or Blair.

Again, tell that to my family members former Cuban political prisoners.

The one who founded a house in Venezuela to help thousands of former Cuban political prisoners settle in Venezuela or eventually move on to the USA, before Hugo Chavez time.

He wasn't a nazi, he was hitler youth, basicly a boy scout for fascists.

Just wait until the Swiss Guard starts wearing red masks. Then they'll be kick ass. That and the Vatican organist having to play The Imperial March.

:D

Oliver Cromwell, coolest dictator of all times (and to be fair he did try democracy everyso often).
He was a tyranical protestant, try looking up the crimes he committed in Eire, benevolent? please.....on a separate but related note thank the lord all the puritans went to America...

Constantine the Great, Baldwin IV, are both excellent rulers, Richard III