Benevolent Dictators- Persuasive Essay

Jordan Willis
Benevolent Dictators
Humanities
6/10/08

Some people may say that having a dictatorship is never the right choice. Although, Some people would argue that in certain cases a country may need to be led by just one man/woman to help better the nation. I think that usually dictatorships are not good, but, also that there are some times that a benevolent dictator is the best/only choice for the country.

Some people would say that any type of dictator is wrong. Just look at all of the terrible things that Hitler did. Hitler was pure evil, and once he received the power he started to abuse it. He became power hungry and started killing people for no good reason. He killed and destroyed so many people and families. Having one leader/dictator, like Hitler, is never okay. All people, if receiving too much power, will abuse their power. Never is having any type of dictator all right. Power changes people, usually for the worst. If you give a single man/woman power they will almost always use it to better their own lives and not care about their country. A country should not accept dictatorships of any kind.

Some people do believe that having a benevolent dictatorship is acceptable. One of the things a benevolent dictator can do to help his/her country is to help the economy and better the living quality of for the people. A democracy can do the same thing but a dictator does not need the approval of others to progress in his decisions. A dictator could make choices on their own to better the economy and living standards of the people. Yes, Hitler did kill a lot of people and become extremely power hungry, although he did a lot to help his nation as well. When Hitler first came to power Germany’s economy was very poor after the end of World War I which Germany had lost, leaving them in great debts. While in power Hitler found ways to help Germany become more economically strong. He assisted the whole country by getting them out of an economic hole left after World War I and back on their feet. Hitler made the peoples lives much easier while in power. He may have done a lot of bad things, however, he did help improve Germany.

There are some circumstances that a country will need just one leader to make the best decisions for the country, for the people.

Sometimes having one man/woman leading the country in a time of need is what has to be done, because one person can make quick, easy decisions . A benevolent dictator will be a great help to the nation. He/She will not let the power go to their heads, although, you cannot tell how power will effect different people. Some may have enough self control but others may let the power go to their heads. You can never tell until it happens. They will do what they can to not become power hungry. Benevolent dictators do what they can to help out their country not themselves. If the USA entered another Depression I believe that a benevolent dictator would be the best choice to help them, even if he/she is only in power until the Depression came to an end. For example, the US of A's previous depression. During this time the Us had a democratic government. The depression grew worse and lasted for a long time. A benevolent dictator could make decisions that best benefit the people.

Sometimes having one man/woman leading the country in a time of need is what has to be done. An example of when a benevolent dictator was needed is Saddam Hussein. Though he was not a dictator he was still a powerful figure who was able to keep the peace throughout his nation. He was the dictator in Iraq. Iraq is separated into three groups, the Kurds to the North, Sunni to the West, and the Shia in the East. All three groups hate each other, but with Saddam as dictator they got along better or at least did not fight. He may not have kept everybody getting long, but he kept them separated so no conflict would occur. Saddam was able to keep his people under control so Civil War did not break out. Even if Saddam used fear to keep everyone together he still kept everyone in order. Now, with Saddam gone Iraq has broken out into a massive Civil War. Saddam is what was holding Iraq together, and with him gone Iraq is falling apart.

So, some believe that, under certain circumstances, having a benevolent dictator is the only choice a country has. A benevolent dictator can help your countries economy grow, they can keep peace in the society to make sure there are no civil wars. People may say that any form of dictatorship is wrong, well, I would have to disagree.