# Benevolent Oppressive Dictatorship? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165 "2003-12-01T03:07:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AnNiHiLaTiOn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@AnNiHiLaTiOn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnNiHiLaTiOn)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165/41 "2003-12-04T05:30:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > **Can a benevolent (undemocratic) dictatorship work? Yes- where I live, it works excellently.** The United Arab Emirates is classified as a federation. The government is split into pieces, automatically disqualifying it from being a dictatorship. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165/42 "2003-12-04T05:47:38Z")
No dictator totally controls every aspect of his government. A single person just cannot run every operation of government. One of the things that has made most dictatorships truly oppressive is that they delegate enormous power to petty bureaucrats and opportunists who are out for there own interests. Nazi Germany was oppressive not only because of Hitler, but because complete moral nobodies like Heinrich Himmler, Hans Frank, and Reynhard Heydrich were able to act with impunity in the state’s name. And even if a ‘benevolent’ person became dictator, there is no way to ensure every policeman, bureaucrat, prison guard, or tax collector uses the enourmous powers of a dictatorial state for good as well. Such as system would work only if everyone in a society shared the same benevolent ethical framework. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165/43 "2003-12-04T06:53:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AnNiHiLaTiOn \* > \*\*The United Arab Emirates is classified as a federation. The government is split into pieces, automatically disqualifying it from being a dictatorship. \*\* Fair enough. But as a model of a single-unelected-ruler state, it does work. At the end of the day, it’s down to Sheikh Zayed’s final word, with no hope or chance to depose him until he dies (bar a coup). Not that anyone would want to, because he’s great. He even made my birthday a public holiday 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165/44 "2003-12-04T13:12:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*This is probably going to astound you – when the Cuban revolution occurred, not all the rich Batista cronies stayed in Cuba to have all their wealth and very likely their lives taken from them. Many of them took everything they could and moved to the U.S. Many of them took up residence in Florida. It’s history. YOu can look it up. \*\* I guess I should’ve mentioned this before, but I am Cuban, born and raised under Castro’s dictatorship and I am well aware of Cuba and its history, both the real history and the mythology that was created after Castro. Which is why I asked the question if you knew any Batista Cubans, by which I guess you meant Batista supporters, because I sure don’t. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2003, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165/45 "2003-12-04T13:24:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Captor \* > \*\*Soooo lemme get this straight. You’re saying that if the U.S. trades with Cuba, Fidel will personally show up on the docks and take all the U.S. merchandise and hide it in a warehouse to keep it out of the hands of his people. All checks will go straight to Fidel, all exports will be personally harvested, processed and shipped by Fidel. > > Amazing guy, that Fidel. \*\* Are you saying that the Cuban government is incapable of controlling the import/export of goods into Cuba? You do realize that Cuba, being a communist dictatorship and all, owns everything in Cuba, that includes all companies, all ports, and all transportation. So yes, if Cuba does not want to allow US imports it most certainly can keep them from coming into the country. Now put aside the snide comments and try to engage in some actual debate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benevolent-oppressive-dictatorship/216165.md?page=2)