Gordaen’s Blog

What is a dictator? According to an online dictionary: a person exercising absolute power, esp. a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession. That’s a fairly soft definition (what is absolute power?), so maybe we should analyze the character traits that are most common in dictators.

Love power
Nothing is more appealing to a dictator than power. That’s why so many of today’s dictators seek out nuclear weapons and build up the military.

Example: Kim Jong-il seeks to increase his nuclear arsenal and the range of his missiles.

Ignore rules
Dictators ignore any laws and rules that weaken their ability to control a situation. In other words, dictators commonly go against the United Nations and the Geneva Conventions.

Example: Saddam Hussein did not allow UN weapons inspectors into his country.

Are not favored by the world’s population
Since dictators tend to be “evil,” people don’t like them. There are always the blind people and those who get more power by supporting the dictator, but the mass populous disapproves of a dictator.

Example: Uh, do you really like Saddam or Kim Jong-il (his Team America character does not count)?

Rely on propaganda and deceit
It may not be necessary for dictators to have the favor of the rest of the world, but it is in their own interest to convince their population that the right path is being taken. Dictators unite the people who fall for the lies and alienate those who don’t, casting them as the “bad guys.”

Example: Hitler blamed the world’s problems on the Jewish people and had his men kill anyone who harbored the Jews.

Cause war
Invading at least one other country is practically a requirement of a dictator. If you don’t invade another country, your fellow tyrants will consider you a sissy. The best kinds of wars to start are ones that are unprovoked or provoked by lies.

Example: Saddam invaded Kuwait. Hitler invaded everywhere he could.

Use family ties
Without connections, it’s tough to control a country in the first place. That’s why so many dictators rely on their family connections to start their reign of terror.

Example: Kim Jong-il came to power after his father, the leader of North Korea for 46 years, died. Saddam gained power through his cousin.

Have a past history of crime
Though not all dictators have committed significant crimes prior to gaining power, nearly all have broken the law in some way which the general populous would consider negatively.

Example: Both Hitler and Saddam were in jail for crimes before their rise to power.

Summary
A dictator certainly doesn’t have to follow every one of these traits, but s/he would definitely have to follow most of them. A person is not always considered a “dictator” by everyone (such as Kim Jong-il) either.

George Walker Bush
How could any dictator analysis be complete without taking a look at President Bush? He…
…loves power - He alloted a budget for a nuclear “bunker buster” bomb. He has spent billions outside of the budget on the military.
…ignores rules - He doesn’t believe in granting constitutional rights to suspected terrorists. He does not follow the Geneva Convention. He ignored the UN’s request for more time for the weapons inspectors in Iraq.
…is not favored by the world’s population - This one’s pretty obvious. Even his approval rating in the US is low (usually 30-40%).
…relies on propaganda and deceit - He claimed Iraqi leaders and the Taliban/al Qaeda were working together (which he, himself, later said was untrue). He claimed WMD existed in Iraq and that we knew where they were (WMD may or may not have existed, but we definitely didn’t know where they were if we haven’t found any yet…). He casts the democrats as “helping terrorists,” promoting the view that democrats are cowards and terrorists want democrats in power.
…causes war - He invaded Afghanistan (though it was warranted) and the country has been going downhill lately (or uphill, if you think opium sales are a good thing). He invaded Iraq (unwarranted) and has caused the deaths of an estimated 100,000 or more Iraqis.
…uses family ties - It’s tough to not see the favor that his father’s position gives him.
…has a past history of crime - Even if you think that he honorably served in the guard during Vietnam and his records proving so magically vanished (desertion is severe enough to be punishable by death during wartime), you can’t deny the police records of his DUI.

Bush claimed that Kim Jong-il is the leader of an Axis of Evil, but who has caused more violence in the world?