A dictator's manifesto

[Mr.P]

Mike, you mentioned you would likely gravitate towards a centrally controlled economy.

Given your own inclinations would a Corporate state, in a style of say Salazar of Portugal, be more to your liking? Or would you naturally swing to a leftist method of rule?

[Rebels_back]

YO im back.

Im not a millatrist feind but im not a bornagin etheir.

ill be at war with the US 24/7.

Itll be a veitnam in the careibean.
THere will be releigeon and war and a tad of propoganda(Dont tell them i said that)
ill kill off the burrracrats and to many preachers is bad.
BUT the people will love my communist rageim.
yet it wont be dependent on the USSR.
looks like the bornagin islands are gona look like SIM Isle.

[mdlake]

Had to do some quick research to answer this one.  I had no clue who Salazar was an hour ago, and have only a sketchy understanding now.  My response, based on a poor grasp of Salazar, may not say what I want it to say.

Left, right, corporate, communist, fascist--all much the same to me (on Santa Bañana, that is!).  Whatever keeps the wheels turning.  Maybe I'll cuddle up to the bankers and industrialsists early; we'll see.  I may not go so far as Salazar in asceticism, but, given principle #5, my pleasure palace should look a lot humbler than some other dictators', at least until long-term investment starts paying off.  Salazar seems to have adopted dictatorship to promote Portugese happiness; I will (probably) promote the Santa Bañanan happiness to maintain my dictatorship--big difference in philosophy, there.  But I wholly endorse one of Salazar's speeches:

     I know quite well what I want and where I am going,
     but let it not be insisted that I shall reach the goal in
     a few months. For the rest, let the country study,
     let it suggest, let it object, and let it discuss, but
     when the time comes for me to give orders I shall
     expect it to obey. (Salazar, 1939:43-45).

Words for any Tropican dictator to live by.

[Mr.P]

You're close to the mark on Salazar Mike, he did value the happiness of most Portugese, albeit they were forced to accept his view of what should make them contented.
Neither was he into personal wealth (certainly the later trait is one I will not be adopting!)

I admire the longevity of his reign, however as he was able to provide stability and growth, something Portugal had lacked for some time, he has been viewed by many historians as a saviour. Those who lived under his rule may disagree somewhat though.

I will probably follow a similar line to you Mike, in that I will side with most factions to continue my rule, although communism does not hold much appeal.

[Blackrook]

I'll start out as a nice dictator, but I know I won't be able to resist the temptation to off someone once in a while.  Human nature I guess.

[Eddy]

I know what will happen with me.

I'll start out thinking that I will be a great leader of a Utopian paradise.  Then I will be annoyed by my people's demands.  Do they not realize that Rome was not built in a day?  What do they want now?  Can you not see that the nation must be built from the ground up?  What now peasant?

And then I shall discover the abandoned mine shaft and I shall arrange "personal" tours with those people who do not understand my benificent nature.  And the people will grow suspicious, so I will have to resort to more and more killings, until finally I have open massacres in the street that would make even Stalin say "Dude, chill out man".  And all this time I will grow resentful of the filthy peasant dogs.  And I will take the money that is rightfully mine.  I earned it.  They had a hovel and I gave them a villa.  

My Swiss bank account shall grow fat even as the rabble starve, until finally after an ill-advised press conference where I tell them to eat cake, the people will revolt and I shall escape with my money and the hatred of a nation.  And I shall escape to Estados Unidos and be sent to a country club jail for 5 years.  

Eventually I will get out, and do the talk show circuit.  And I shall grow old and withered, but still quite wealthy from the poverty stricken wretches who live in misery back on the island.

Or I could simply be corrupt from day one and get it over with.

[Blackrook]

eddy:

Your post reminds me of the frantic escape of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from the Phillipines.  When they arrived in the U.S., they were carrying cans full of diamonds.

After the coup, the media took a look in Imelda's closet and found hundreds, if not thousands, of shoes.

In all, the Marcos regime looted $5 billion from the Phillipines.  An incredible haul for a poor nation where many people live in garbage dumps and scrounge for food.

[Eddy]

I remember that very well, and I'm sure that Poptop will have a scenario about this.  I think Imelda had 15,000 pair of shoes.  It was unreal.  I do remember hearing that if she wore three pair of shoes a day, she'd never wear them all in her lifetime.

[Blackrook]

New idea for dictator character flaw:

"Wife wants shoes."  

[Mr.P]

Or you could flee to a fellow dictators haven, like Somoza.

Sit around flaunting your wealth and embarrassing your host, then hop in your bulletproof Mercedes and BOOM!. Someone shoots at you with a bazooka.

Oh how the Sandanista's laughed as they extracted his mangled corspe from the still running motor!  :-/

Don't follow that dark path Eddy, it's just not worth it.

[Blackrook]

That reminds me of the Panama invasion in 1989.  U.S. troops quickly took over the whole country with little resistance from Panamanian troops.  Noriega took refuge in the Vatican consulate in Panama City.

U.S. troops surrounded the consulate, set up enormous speakers, and blasted Noriega day and night with obnoxious heavy metal music. Finally, unable to sleep, he gave up.

What a hoot!!!  

[magicpiper]

Heavy metal music?  I don't suppose they played any Van Halen, did they?  

hehehe, hoooboy

[des]

Has anyone else noticed that about one in every three posts is mainly composed of a history lesson?  Most of them all with a real conservative bent to them?  Yes, I made that last bit up, I haven't really noticed that in any but then again I stopped reading them awhile ago.

But it's nice to see some rivalry appearing between those posters of dictator history.  I'm putting my money on Mr P.  (If I had money and there was some sort of way to bet on this)  He's been around much longer and has a more educated air to him.  <-- Is that the correct spelling of air within that context?

Hmmm.  I think I'll stop here.

des
Eating babies and avoiding the thread topic too.
Munch, munch.  Avoid, avoid.

[Eddy]

Senor, Mr. P seems like a throughly capable sort, but I play Civilization in a somewhat more brutal manner than most.  Generally most people fight a war and take the enemy cities and incorporate them into their own empire.  Not me.  I conduct genocide.  Even if I am going to build a city in that exact same spot, I will utterly raze the existing city, simply because they are not my race.  I scare other people when they see this.  I think as a dictator I will have at least one game where I play "Make a worldwide bodybag shortage."  Fear me.

[caddet]

Blackrook,

I enjoy having these stories in the posts.  And just for the record, your age is midway between mine and my oldest son!  I think that makes you a youngster!  But your area of knowledge is quite different than mine.  Don't stop writing!

[Eddy]

I like having the history too.  It's nice to have some real conversation where I can learn a little bit.  If you don't like this conversation, feel free to start one of your own.  It's a big board out there.

[Railnut]

Blackrook,
If I may impart a little of my more than 35 years of wisdom; I didn't read des' post as a complaint so much as an observation. Like caddet and Eddy, I enjoy the history lessons and would encourage you (and the others) to continue.

Regarding des' comments about Mr.P, "He's been around much longer and has a more educated air to him."  I have to assume he refers to Mr.P's longevity on this forum and not his age which he has stated in the past to be 25 or 26 if memory serves me. As for his "more educated air", he is a lawyer! Aren't they trained to at least appear to know what they're talking about? And to exhibit a certain air of sophistication and arrogance? I know if I ever need one that's what I'll be looking for!
_{No offense Mr.P, I tried to phrase it as gently as possible and still make my point. But I am just a lowly construction worker after all.}

[Eddy]

A Lawyer?  A LAWYER!!!

Senor!  I must hope that you are joking with me in this grave matter.  On my island there are no lawyers.  Only workers and peasants.  No lawyers.  AUUUGGGHHH!!!!!

A lawyer indeed.

Next you'll tell me that the Spice Girls aren't the best group ever.

[des]

Hmmm.  Was there some reply that got cut out?  Directed at me, in fact?  Hmmm?  If so, I missed it.  Email me directly to deliver any unread abuse.

And railnut's explanation of my post was pretty much spot on, but it's still open to further interpretation and take offense if you want, I won't stop you.

I'm actually trying to forget about Tropico after finding out that I'll have to wait till June for it to get here.  

des
Go China!

[Cram]

Wait for Tropico till June!That was a bad April joke, wasn't it?


PS: I'M A REBEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mr.P]

Sure Des, we are a well read bunch. I just fear that when the game comes out we will all be using our historical knowledge to do 'one better' than our chosen dictator. (Who is going to go for the Imelda Marcos shoe collection record, I don't want to even guess at!) Oh the humanity!!  

Who mentioned the word lawyer? I don't know, such unfounded rumours....I've a good mind to sue! <dadgumed!>

[maxim]

I also missed Blackrook's post.

I also like the historical discussions going on here. I've given a few in other discussions and I don't think that I would be included in the conservative faction here.

Viva la Revolucion!  

[Blackrook]

I'm going to revise this old thread because I came up with a new strategy that I'd like to try out:

I call it my "worker's paradise" strategy.  All efforts will be taken to take care of the basic needs of my people, using a simple agriculture based economy.

I will build lots of farms, which will grow food crops for the people, instead of cash crops for exports.  I will not manufacture anything.  I will not build up a tourist industry.  I will build no schools or colleges.  I will build simple houses so the people do not have to live in shacks.  I will keep the army as small as possible.  I will build churches to meet the spiritual needs of my people, but no cathedrals.

There will be plenty of food, and adequating housing, but little else.  This will satisfy my working class, but upset the capitalists and intellectuals and militarists.  To them, I shall say, leave and go to the USA where you can live a life of decadent wealth.

I do not know if this strategy will work, but it will be interesting to try.

[caddet]

Sounds like your bureaucrat's postcard.  Let me know how it works.

[Cram]

Your strategy is interesting Blackrook.Workers Paradise could work, I think.But what do you do with rebels or possible uprisings?