Then and there.
Oh, you mean like the US, where all your phone calls, texts, and emails are spied on by the government illegally but entirely without repercussions, and where the President is a swindling, under-investigation clown surrounded by an ever-widening circle of indicted criminals / billionaires, and where federal politicians are all millionaire sock-puppets whose corporate masters directly dictate the legislation they want in exchange for million dollar bribes?
We could also mention the fact that the US has more prisoners both per-capita and in absolute numbers than any other country on earth, and that the police routinely slaughter people with zero repercussions…but hey, who’s keeping track here?
In the face of all that, a little bit of “opponents seem to drop off the radar” doesn’t even register. Sign me up for the benign autocracy! Singapore is a great example of the closest real-life example of one, and a great place. It’s like Plato says, a benign tyrant is the absolute best form of government.
It only ever really falls down on their death (unless they’re like Singapore with a single autocratic ruling party/class with good succession processes), where the various generals and offspring tend to duke it out over who rules next. But I’d be hoping / betting on them having a long and fruitful enough reign that I’ll die before them.
Are you sure you want to take Plato’s example of what makes for good government? If you actually read The Republic, he puts Orwell to shame.
Oh, I’m still cheering for team “benign tyrant,” Plato’s misgivings aside.
I think of it like living in Rome under Augustus, or France under Louis XIV - in the aggregate, standards of living are improving, the nation is strong and getting stronger, arts and technology are flourishing, public and political life are relatively safe, you can execute long-term projects without worrying about great turmoil in the near future…all in all, a good deal. Sure, the leader is an autocrat with a good chunk of the power, but they’re running things well and life in general is good and improving for everyone, not just the folk on top. I’ll take it!