What If You Were A Dictator (On Topic Mode!)

We had this little number over in Yack Fest, I decided it might be good to see what the folks here thought.

So basically, if, by some wierd stroke of luck or genius, you found yourself with dictator-like powers, what would you do?

I'd very quickly reinstate democracy, and especially a parliament to form an opposition so I don't end up just listening to Yes Men agreeing with me all the time. If I was a military figure I'd call for elections, then resign and stand as a politician or just re-affirm my allegiance to the new president/prime minister.

That said, I'd still do my best to run the country and I'd stand for re-election if I felt I was doing a good job of it, but if voted out, I'd stand down. I'd basically be looking to pull a Cincinnatus.

Also, even if people kept voting me in, I wouldn't make any move to prepare an heir. If my kid wants to go for the position I'll support them in developing the skills they need, but they're gonna need to persuade the public; without my influence.

No dynasties for me. I've read my history, I know how that always ends.

edited 6th Jul '11 2:30:15 PM by GameChainsaw

create infrastructure, education, stuff that would take too long with a democratic bureaucracy. Would slowly give more and more power to the legislature until they both had it all and were strong and mature enough as an institution to handle it. By that point, I'd retire on my private island.

Realistic, yet sensible.

Follow the blueprint in Bio of a Space tyrant if i'm chosen for some specific reason.

try to create a republic over a period of decades, tax the rich heavily but the corporations lightly and require citizenship and paying taxes to own a corporate entity in the country. Slowly set up the legislature of the country so that corruption would be hard to do, IE make it illegal for politicians to own stock or have corporate connections. Create a public fund for politicians to draw from and make incumbents able to take less than upstarts. Institute limits upon terms for the politicians so they aren't constantly campaigning. Any personal donations can only be accessed a decade after office, and are taxed at 70%. Restrict individuals or private citizens/corporations from owning more than one news-group, and subsidize journalistic groups so the start-up costs would be low.

Criminal punishment will instead be based upon rehabilitation, and the focus of the country will be upon making the living conditions for all people above a certain limit.

I would set up groups which would be staffed by the best statisticians to create statistics so that politicians and the public were well informed upon what was actually happening.

Most of all, I would make it clear that if a policy was not being effective, the goal was to determine why instead of cutting it completely. Modifying policies would be more important than cutting them outright.

Can I still go with "appoint Nornagest and run like hell"?

Hang the bankers and divvy the money. Jobs, homes etc for all.

My regime will be founded upon Justice. Everyone who has pissed me off will be given a fair trial before I hang them. Then people who have pissed of my friends will hang and then people who have pissed off my friends' friends.

For my first term the Legislature will be 80% minions and 20% freely elected. For my second term 70% minions etc.

First, I would destroy all corrupt elements in the former government, business and other high positions (since it's Serbia we're talking about, that would end up being a massacre). Afterwards, I would create a judicial system that, for a change, works. The next priority would be nationalizing a large part of the private sector, revitalizing the industry, improving agriculture and building infrastructure. The next step would be bettering the educational system. Afterwards, I'd probably call for democratic elections.

Under my rule, the government shall have a permanent cloister of economists to do social analysis.

Step 1: Build the most powerful military in existence.

Step 3: Take Over the World.

There's just one thing missing...

The typo makes that all the more hilarious.

>_> What typo.

I guess I would try to be fair.

Well, it'd be a short tenure, but here's what I'd do.

• Rename my office as Guy In Charge: It sounds adequately informal.
• Immediately legalize gambling, prostitution, and drug production/trade/posession/use.
• Legalize piracy. Prohibit IS Ps from ever handing out any customer's data on any copyright-related lawsuit. Radically shorten copyright terms: Think 10 years from publication, not 70 after the death of the author.
• Abolish censorship. Make proposing any form of censorship a capital crime.
• Pardon all non-violent, vice-related offenders, and restore their civil rights to fullness.
• Immediately and unceremoniously fire the whole DEA, without compensation or benefits. Sack without compensation and rescind any benefits for everyone in Narcotics or Vice enforcement. Close most jails, sack most prison guards without compensation.
• Abolish the drinking age, and lower the age of consent to 15.
• Have the RIAA and the MPAA executed wholesale.
• Abolish gun control. Shut down the ATF.
• Ban workplace drug testing.
• Allow the workers at any company to seize it without compensation towards the owner. Yes, that includes the banking sector.
• Sack the entire Supreme Court. Make sure all 9 candidates are pro-drugs, pro-gun, pro-choice, pro-privacy and pro-free speech, and pretty much anti-government.
• Confiscate all funds that any socially conservative organization has. That includes the personal property of their leaders and outspoken members. Use it to financially compensate those that were convicted of victimless crimes.
• Rewrite the Constitution in a way that makes social conservatism impossible.
• Retire to a hut in The Middle'O'Nowhere, Alaska. Whether I'd resign or remain formally Head Honcho remains to be seen.

edited 6th Jul '11 6:05:26 PM by SavageHeathen

Pretty much expected the rest of your post, but this stuck out to me as somewhat inefficient— If you're going to bring people back on who only agree with what you want anyway, you may as well handle it yourself. Or hire one guy. No point in having that many people who agree with eachother doing a job that, without all the debate, can be done by one.

You can't have an One-Man Supreme Court, that's barbaric! What if the only Justice goes crazy or finds Jesus or something?

Pack it with 25-year-old stoners and gun nuts... Much safer. They ain't gonna start dyin' until they hit 60 anyway. That gives a precious 35 years of social liberalism at a minimum.

edited 6th Jul '11 6:34:17 PM by SavageHeathen

I would utilize the countries resources towards developing immortality and superpowers, becoming a paranoid bastard as I expect assassination at every turn, only to be betrayed by the one person I actually trusted in.

Then you have him thrown in the back of a van with a bag over his head so he can "go on vacation." You're the dictator Guy In Charge, after all. Or just fire 'im.

Wouldn't do that. Then I'd have no checks and balances! What if I went crazy and started oppressing people? I wouldn't mind being an autocrat for a while, but I wouldn't like being a tyrant.

Nah, I'd treaty away my ability to fire those guys after I appointed them. That way I couldn't go evil.

After the reforms agenda was done and the new Constitution was enacted, I'd have my crony Justices declare the office of Guy In Charge uconstitutional, but granting me immunity from prosecution under the principle of no ex post facto laws. Then I'd accept the judgement and resign gracefully, proving that the checks and balances work, and giving the appearance than the Justices ain't mindless minions'o'mine.

Win-win!

edited 6th Jul '11 6:43:59 PM by SavageHeathen

You should just write an expiration date to your plenary authority into your constitution. Much simpler.

If I go evil, I'll be evil, and thus want to be evil, so going evil isn't a problem for me. If justice is with the rebels, they shall defeat me-if not, they shall burn.

@Blueharp: Yeah, much simpler... But showing that the safeguards work is priceless.

edited 6th Jul '11 6:54:43 PM by SavageHeathen

Your voluntary compliance with your own rules would be a lot more effective than your cronies doing it.

I think you're underestimating how much power corrupts. You're a dictator! That's absolute power! And absolute power corrupts absolutely. There's no way you wouldn't rationalize "No way dude, I can do so much more good if I stay in power."

I'd pour funding back into space travel/exploration and try to get a ship yard going for a real mars settlement.

Yeah, you're right. It'd be possible (and a good idea) to resign straight after enacting the new Constitution: People would enjoy a right not to be subjected to arbitrary authority, so the office of Guy In Charge would be abolished.

With a Constitution that made prohibitionism pretty much a non-starter, a judicial branch dedicated to keep it that way, and Alternative Vote instead of FPTP, it would work smoothly.

True: That's why I should limit the office first thing of all, before power corrupts me: Y'know, make sure it's an instrument of reform and not of oppression.

edited 6th Jul '11 7:03:36 PM by SavageHeathen

Pfft. You'll find an excuse anyway. The promise of real power is too overwhelming. Be honest with yourself-you'd find a way to become as corrupt and mad as I suggested I would be!