The place to ask China-related questions!
Beijing Shanghai Guangzhou Shenzhen Chengdu Xi'an Hangzhou Qingdao Dalian Suzhou Nanjing More Cities>>

Categories

Close
Welcome to eChinacities Answers! Please or register if you wish to join conversations or ask questions relating to life in China. For help, click here.
X

Verify email

Your verification code has been sent to:

Didn`t receive your code? Resend code

By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .

Sign up with Google Sign up with Facebook
Sign up with Email Already have an account? .
Posts: 3272

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Q: If you called the shots...

OK, so you're at the head of a dictatorship with a bloody history. Your only interest is staying in power. You promised the people wealth in exchange for harmonious obedience. What would you do?

My first step would be to institute a pension plan for everyone. Make the absolute basice free (a bed and a bowl of rice and cabbage, nothing more), and let people save up for the extras (incl. health care). People in China hate taxes and other payments, but if you ease it in gently, they will see the benefits and come around.
I'd improve education, first of all focusing on proper doctor and nurse training, eliminating the TCM voodoo. Decoupling TCM with Chinese identity shouldn't be so hard to do; you own the media after all.

If people are invested in the country, it's hard to be opposed to China despite its history. As it stands now, China offers its people nothing but direct wealth. Wealth which any other regime might also offer. But a pension plan, health insurance and child education subsidies are good reasons for people to not want to see the regime end. People are not properly *invested* in this government, so ti should change, or watch itself implode while its people look on indifferently.

9 years 27 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
Answers (8)
Comments (5)
Posts: 9634

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Buy everyone an iPhone and you're good for another 2 years as dictator.

coineineagh:

Erm, don't those trinkets become outdated with the launch of a new model every few months? Buy them a pension from which they can scheme to embezzle an iPad, and you're set for life. Anything threatens your regime, and the pensioners will be lining up with fervor to defend you, as if their livelihoods depended on it. Which it would.

9 years 27 weeks ago
Report Abuse

Scandinavian:

the pension also becomes outdated when your regime is toppled over some crappy oversight or when you are back stabbed by your piers

9 years 27 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 27 weeks ago
 
Posts: 4530

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

to be The Best Dictator you have to look/act like the dictator on the Pink Floyd movie 'The Wall'.  Everything else will just fall into place from there...

Report Abuse
9 years 27 weeks ago
 
Posts: 7185

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I can maybe have a go at answering your question Coineineah.

 

What you say is needed for the people was indeed promised to them. But you need to go back to the days of the Soviets to when that promise was made. Lots of promises had to be made to encourage the people to pick up a gun or a pitchfork.

 

I think some leaders were honest with their promises, others less so.

 

But when it come down to it, they had not factored in the Chinese characteristics. I don't think this is an invented concept, it's an ingrained cultural thing.  It's something the Government of today have to work around.

 

So...go forward a few decades....  and there you are, in charge of everything, the King is dead. Millions have died in his experiments. The world has become a dangerous place. Mutually assured destruction is the foreign policy of every developed nation on Earth. What should you do to ensure as many people as possible live?  Starvation is a terrible way to die. Your own son was rendered a cripple in his attempts to escape the stupidity of the King's teenage guards.

 

I think the answer is to develop the economy. You release people to allow them to use their energy to make money. And You take a cut, and put it in the bank. Maybe build a few roads and railways, hospitals and schools.

 

But here is where the Chinese characteristic come back to bite the leader on the bum.  Because with all this money pouring in it should be easy to deliver on the promises made in the old days. But you can't.  Because if you give the people the promise of an easy retirement they have no thirst to go out and make the deals that brings the money in.

 

In short, the economic growth of the country depends upon the need of the people to secure their financial security in the future.  If you give them their future for free they have no need to work.

 

In my opinion, I think Deng was a clever guy. He understood his country and his people.  His plan is still in action.  That man could see the future.

 

I think things will get better for China. But the"Chinese Characteristics"  have to be dealt with first.

 

Just my own opinion of course wink.

 

RiriRiri:

Deng the clever guy, who bestowed his people with the freedom from thought.

"Doesn't matter if it works or not, as long as it looks like it kind of works."

- Aye aye!"

9 years 26 weeks ago
Report Abuse

coineineagh:

point taken. but i dont think pensions or other welfare will demotivate people from earning money. i've seen poor and wealthy locals go crazy over free stuff. yes the welfare system would be undermined and scammed, but at least it would be there. when something threatens your regime, honest people and scammers alike will support you, because they dont want to see an established income source go. chinese are all about safety and stability, not fairness or morality. so, offer them some universal safety and stability. the lazy, useless ones will be no more lazy and useless, and the greedy ones will continue to fuel the economy with their greed.

9 years 26 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1439

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

At that point it hardly matters how clever the guy calling the shots is. No large scale decision taken can be properly enforced anyway, not after decades of unsupervised corruption and the rampant starving farmer greed symptom going on at every level of the society.

Now let's say... Introduce a real, state wide social security system? Sounds about right ,heh? Yeah, well, now see half of the funds if not less actually going to building the thing (the rest lost to dinners, KTVs and whatnot), then once built have fun observing all the scams and frauds people and officials could think of hand in hand.

Report Abuse
9 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3256

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

You are assuming you are in full control with a wealthy economy. A dictator can be a dictator only because there is a consensus that it's best for everyone. After all, who is really scared of a single man ?

 

  Before pouring huge resources in welfare plans (sounds like Peron policies), you will have to heavily buy the army and the police obedience. It's not a fixed tag price, they have to better paid than most. So if the average incomes goes up, you will have to pay the army and the police more.

 

 If you are the micro-managing kind of dictator, you will tank the economy fast. Even economy-wise dictators failed on that (I think of Portugal in the 70's). So you better be the friend of the markets, with freedom of trade. But then, you loose control, power and thus you become a lesser dictator. It's what happened in North-Korea since the mid 1995 : people are tacitly allowed to trade a bit (it's still illegal in theory), which quickly made people less dependent on subsidies, encouraged corruption (paying authorities to look away), and in the end resentful of the power.

 

In the end, dictatorship is not sustainable if you try to be helpful to the majority : it become self-destructive. You have to accept blatant inefficacy as a dictator.

RiriRiri:

What I said, with (much) better explanation.

9 years 26 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2587

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I really enjoy reading people's opinion on these type of topics.  It takes a lot of brainpower to be an effective head of state.  Your question is what would I, as a dictator, would do to keep my power.  Ultimately, to keep power, a dictator must use a combination of fear and admiration to his advantage.  A dictator without charisma will not keep power long.  Need to have a sincere smile as I crack the whip on the lower class people's back.  I would also need to keep the upper class happy as well as owning the military.  Forget that internet nonsense, it's far too distracting for my people.  Isn't there a simulation game about this?  I forgot it's name.

 

Anyways, human lifespan is too short and we are too selfish and greedy for any form of government to be stable.  If I were the head of any government, I would immediately resign and take my family somewhere to live quietly. At least I can be the head of my own family.

Report Abuse
9 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1142

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I found it interesting that in Tropico, I always was unpopular for the first couple decades, until I could get an economy running...but once I did, and upgraded housing, the people loved me...

Report Abuse
9 years 26 weeks ago
 
Posts: 7736

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

A good dictator is like an abusive partner - always controlling, sometimes loving, often

harsh - and constantly surprising!

 

But - also cunning! Need to keep people on the edge of uncertainty 90% of the time.

Report Abuse
9 years 26 weeks ago
 
Know the answer ?
Please or register to post answer.

Report Abuse

Security Code: * Enter the text diplayed in the box below
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <br> <p> <u>
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Textual smileys will be replaced with graphical ones.

More information about formatting options

Forward Question

Answer of the DayMORE >>
A: In my personal experience, teaching certificates have varied in releva
A:In my personal experience, teaching certificates have varied in relevance depending on the context and location. Here's a breakdown of each aspect:a) Getting the teaching job: Teaching certificates can certainly enhance your chances of securing a teaching position, especially in formal educational settings such as schools and language institutions. Many employers prefer candidates who have undergone specific training in pedagogy and instructional techniques, which these certificates often provide. However, other factors such as experience, references, and the demand for teachers in a particular area also play significant roles in the hiring process.b) Getting a higher salary than your uncertified competitors: In some cases, holding a teaching certificate can indeed lead to a higher salary compared to uncertified competitors. Many educational institutions have structured salary scales that take into account factors such as level of education, years of experience, and additional certifications. Holding a teaching certificate may place you in a higher salary bracket or make you eligible for certain salary incentives or bonuses. However, this can vary widely depending on the specific policies of the institution or organization.c) Getting promotions: Teaching certificates can be beneficial for career advancement and securing promotions within the field of education. They demonstrate a commitment to professional development and mastery of teaching skills, which are qualities that many employers value when considering candidates for leadership positions or administrative roles. Additionally, some promotions may require specific certifications or qualifications, making holding a teaching certificate essential for advancement in certain cases.Regarding which certificate yields better results, it largely depends on the specific requirements of the job market and the educational context in which you intend to work. For example:A Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is often highly regarded in formal school settings and can be advantageous for those seeking positions in primary or secondary education.Montessori certification is valuable for individuals interested in working in Montessori schools or implementing Montessori principles in their teaching approach.A Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate is particularly relevant for those seeking to teach English to non-native speakers in international contexts or language schools.Ultimately, the best certificate for you will depend on your career goals, the specific requirements of the positions you're interested in, and the preferences of potential employers in your target job market. It's essential to research the requirements and preferences of employers in your desired field and tailor your qualifications accordingly. -- ruqaiya761