Democracy or Military Dictatorship - Which is Better?

[Boris]

Referring to the northern most state of Nigeria where over 200 people were killed in rioting over a newspaper article suggesting that Mohammed might have wanted to marry one of the Miss World contestants:

"Zamfara was the first of 12 states to adopt Islamic law, or Shariah, after Nigerian military rule gave way to elected government in 1999. Religious clashes since then have killed thousands across the country."

Zamfara's Governor has issued a Fatwa against the offending columnist. Her options are to convert to Islam or be murdered.

Maybe Nigeria should back to a military dictatorship.

[IrishHand]

An enlightened dictatorship is infinitely preferrable to a democracy - the problem is finding the enlightened dictator.

[HDPM]

Democracy is crap because people are crap. Dictatorships are crap because people are crap. The only chance is to get people to set aside their immediate desire to be crap and put together a republic where various checks and balances exist. If you put together a government with the assumption that each part of it will try to do the wrong thing, you have a chance to have a good government. Our Constitution was a pretty good stab at the problem. It has been Amended for good (13th and 14th Amds) and for ill (income tax, direct election of senators, prohibition) but has worked OK. Of course, it would stand no chance of passing today. Think of what Nixon and Clinton could have done in either a dictatorship or a democracy. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

[nicky g]

problem solved - me! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif nah, i'm supposed to be an anarchist.