{"id":474546,"date":"2022-07-16T05:08:30","date_gmt":"2022-07-16T02:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/western-dictator-envy-ignores-strengths-of-democracy\/"},"modified":"2022-07-16T05:08:30","modified_gmt":"2022-07-16T02:08:30","slug":"western-dictator-envy-ignores-strengths-of-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/western-dictator-envy-ignores-strengths-of-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"#Western &#8216;dictator envy&#8217; ignores strengths of democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a249668bf1a5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a249668bf1a5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/western-dictator-envy-ignores-strengths-of-democracy\/#%E2%80%9CWestern_%E2%80%98dictator_envy_ignores_strengths_of_democracy%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Western &#8216;dictator envy&#8217; ignores strengths of democracy&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWestern_%E2%80%98dictator_envy_ignores_strengths_of_democracy%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Western &#8216;dictator envy&#8217; ignores strengths of democracy&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Some Western leaders envy dictators\u2019 powers.<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump said, when North Korea\u2019s Kim Jong-un speaks, \u201chis people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>President Barack Obama told reporters it would be so much easier to be the president of China.<\/p>\n<p>Canada\u2019s foolish Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said he admires the Chinese because \u201ctheir basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These are stupid and dangerous fantasies.<\/p>\n<p>Some people have a \u201cutopian dream that if only someone at the top could just point us in a certain direction, everything would go well,\u201d says historian Johan Norberg in my new video.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople like a strong leader,\u201d I point out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA strong leader of their own imagination,\u201d Norberg responds.<\/p>\n<p>One example he gives: \u201cThomas Friedman of The New York Times famously said that he wanted to be China for a day to solve global warming.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/xi-jinping.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"China's President Xi Jinping \" class=\"wp-image-23079378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/xi-jinping.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/xi-jinping.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/xi-jinping.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Canada\u2019s Prime Minister Trudeau said in an interview that he admired China. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">SELIM CHTAYTI\/POOL\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If Friedman were dictator, he could solve global warming? I doubt it.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, China has built lots of wind turbines. \u201cBut those wind turbines don\u2019t produce more power!\u201d Norberg points out. \u201cAround 30% of them are not even connected to the grid. And why is that? Because they didn\u2019t build them to make money. They built them because they wanted to meet a political goal.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>So China has useless wind turbines and, for power, builds more coal plants.<\/p>\n<p>Another example: American <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> said we should look to China to contain COVID-19. NBC\u2019s Chuck Todd asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, \u201cHow uncomfortable is it that perhaps China\u2019s authoritarian ways did prevent this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fauci replied that China \u201cprevented a broader spread.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But China\u2019s \u201d \u2018Zero COVID\u2019 policy turned into a nightmare,\u201d says Norberg. China locked people into homes. One city even killed COVID patients\u2019 pets. China is still the one country that will not acknowledge that we may have to learn to live with COVID.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what you get with dictators,\u201d says Norberg. \u201cIf government is big enough to give you anything, it\u2019s big enough to take everything away from you.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/putin-3.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to members of the State Duma and the Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation.\" class=\"wp-image-23079377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/putin-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/putin-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/putin-3.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to members of the State Duma and the Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation on July 7. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Alexei Nikolsky\/Kremlin Pool\/AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At the beginning of the pandemic, America imitated China\u2019s lockdowns. The mayor of Los Angeles threatened to shut off power to people who did not follow his orders.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>There was lots of political bickering about what our COVID rules should be. People don\u2019t like the bickering, but Norberg calls it one of democracy\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause it means that we see different things and we bring different ideas to the table.\u201d By contrast, \u201cwhen we have one guy at the top, they begin to fall for their own propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s probably what led to Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine. \u201cPutin thought that his own military was in excellent shape,\u201d says Norberg. \u201cUkraine was seen as a joke of a country, a place of latte-drinking comedians.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy <em>was<\/em> a comedian before becoming president.<\/p>\n<p>Putin assumed Ukrainians \u201cwould just run away the moment they saw muscular Russian paratroopers,\u201d says Norberg. \u201cBut it\u2019s been a disaster for them.\u201d In freer countries, he points out, \u201cjournalists [and] people online would\u2019ve seen those problems and brought them forth.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/obama-xi.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Former President Obama meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.\" class=\"wp-image-23079420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/obama-xi.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/obama-xi.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/obama-xi.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Former President Obama meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kevin Lamarque\/REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But Putin\u2019s advisers fear telling him the truth. It\u2019s fun to watch one of his flunkies groveling.<\/p>\n<p>I understand why his adviser stammers. Pointing out a problem might get him jailed, if not killed. It\u2019s why dictators get bad information. They make bad decisions because there\u2019s no open dissent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens when you centralize,\u201d says Norberg. \u201cYou lose individual initiative . . . local knowledge. If you can mobilize everybody in one direction, sometimes they mobilize us all over the cliff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m glad America has a government with <em>limited<\/em> powers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDemocracy cannot guarantee the best governance, but it can prevent the worst from happening,\u201d concludes Norberg. \u201cThat is enough. That\u2019s really what freedom and democracy is about. It doesn\u2019t guarantee us heaven, but at least it makes us sure that we won\u2019t end up in hell.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/07\/15\/western-dictator-envy-ignores-strengths-of-democracy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Western &#8216;dictator envy&#8217; ignores strengths of democracy&#8221; Some Western leaders envy dictators\u2019 powers. President Donald Trump said, when North Korea\u2019s Kim Jong-un speaks, \u201chis people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.\u201d President Barack Obama told reporters it would be so much easier to be the president of China. Canada\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":474547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/07\/newspress-collage-23071504-1657935824950.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1657921686&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[131404,4973,43485,74106,76142,4975,73234,100713],"class_list":["post-474546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-7-15-22","tag-china","tag-climate-change","tag-democracy","tag-dictators","tag-russia","tag-vladimir-putin","tag-volodymyr-zelensky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/474547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}