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[Spoonman]

Well I can hardly judge for the rest of the world since I don't live there and I don't know much about foreign politics, but I don't think the Netherlands are in need of such a dictatorship. Maybe as a temporary solution until there are better politicians, but I think our democratic system itself works allright.

[Doubler]

It still has all the faults of democracy. It's a slow and beaurocratic system, with no real solutions to ever warrant the ammount of debate. Compromises 'a plenty...

Anyway, the reason why our little country doesn't go to hell in a handbasket is just that; it's a little country. We've got few differences between people to worry about.
What we have seen throughout the years is that with the influx of different influences and ideas, the system becomes less and less able to cope with differences between people. Because of that it will either become less effective and slower, or tensions will start to rise.

Now, the influx of ideas can't (and I would say: shouldn't) be stopped. So in the end our democracy too, might have to adjust somehow.

[PrejudiceSucks]

Well the british government at the moment is built on a 12 year old pack of lies sadly.

It's a shame, but a benevolent dictatorship would be great.

[Stroggy]

of coarse the term "benevolent dictator" is a rather subjective term.
One of the so-called benevolent dictators was King Leopold II of Belgium.
He brought prosperity and built the second railroad in Europe and he is basically the king that turned belgium from a pack of farmers into an important european monarchy. On the other hand he was also the owner of Congo Free State and he was responsible for the death of millions of african slaves working for the Belgians extracting rubber and hunting down elephants for ivory.

So, while he is known to Belgians as the "King-Builder" (atleast to the belgians who know who he was) and even a lot of people in (The democratic republic of) the Congo still believe he is their spiritual uncle who brought them civilization, he stands as a monument to the cruelty of imperialism.

One could even state that Adolf Hitler was a benevolent dictator.

As for a United Europe, I think Bismarck was correct when he said that a United Europe is and will always be a fool's dream (not his exact words, but you get the message)

[PrejudiceSucks]

True, he did solve many issues in Germany, regardless of what people say, and he did unify them.

He killed the gypsies, mentally ill and Jews which may have being going too far, but he brought peace to hs own country.

[Doubler]

You have a point there Stroggy.
However, as we seek a benevolent despot, it is ours to decide what he should be like.
That's the nice thing about theory

[Stroggy]

Originally posted by PrejudiceSucks@Jun 5 2005, 05:35 PM
but he brought peace to hs own country.

Now that would be stretching it a bit.
I was thinking more along the lines of creating jobs and 'solving' problems... claiming that he created peace would be down-right incorrect since all his major projects helping germany out of their economic crises were geared towards war (building highways for armies, research and developement for new weapons,...)

[PrejudiceSucks]

True, but it unified the nation.