What happened when these 6 dictators took over? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

Translator: Alba Rubio Alonso Reviewer: Mario Cal

According to legend, the ancient Roman statesman Cincinnatus

Como conta a lenda, Cincinato, o antigo gobernante romano,

was plowing his fields when news arrived that the Aequi,

estaba labrando as leiras cando chegou a nova de que os Ecuos,

Rome’s powerful enemy to the east, had invaded.

os grandes inimigos do leste de Roma, estaban invadindo.

Rome was in need of swift, decisive action,

Roma necesitaba medidas rápidas e contundentes,

and the senate had chosen him to serve as dictator,

e o senado elixírao a el para facer de ditador,

with absolute power over the military and government.

con poder absoluto sobre as forzas militares e o goberno.

Cincinnatus set down his plow, took control and,

Cincinato abandonou o arado, tomou o control e,

in a matter of weeks, saved Rome.

en cuestión de semanas, salvou Roma.

This story reinforces the myth of the “benevolent dictator”—

Esta historia reafirma o mito do “ditador benevolente”—

the idea of a leader who holds absolute power,

a idea dun líder que posúe o poder absoluto,

yet only uses it for the common good, to address problems efficiently,

e aínda así só o usa para o ben común, para afrontar os problemas eficientemente,

and create a just regime.

e crear un réxime xusto.

But can a truly benevolent dictator exist in today’s world?

Pero no mundo actual, pode existir un ditador verdadeiramente benevolente?

Nations established modern democracies to safeguard

As nacións estableceron as democracias modernas para protexerse

against the potentially destructive whims of a single individual.

contra os potenciais impulsos destrutivos dun único individuo.

When functioning properly, democracies enable a society to be freer,

Cando funcionan correctamente, as democracias fan a sociedade máis libre,

and provide stability by protecting against corruption and the abuse of power.

e proporcionan estabilidade ao protexer contra a corrupción e o abuso de poder.

This is accomplished by holding regular, free, and fair elections,

Isto conséguese coa celebración de eleccións regulares, libres e xustas,

imposing term limits,

impoñendo límites de mandato,

and establishing strong legislative branches and court systems.

e establecendo un poder lexislativo e un sistema xudicial fortes.

Maintaining a free press also helps keep politicians accountable for their actions

Manter a prensa libre fai que os políticos se responsabilicen das súas accións

and encourages citizens to engage in their governments and communities.

e motiva aos cidadáns a comprometerse cos seus gobernos e comunidades.

In a dictatorship, absolute or near-absolute power

Nunha ditadura, o poder absoluto ou case absoluto

is held by a single individual

recae nunha única persoa

who is free to impose their vision on society.

que é libre de impoñer a súa visión na sociedade.

Under certain conditions, the idea of a dictator can sound appealing,

Nalgunhas circunstancias, a idea dunha ditadura pode soar atractiva,

like when a democracy isn't functioning as it should due to corruption,

como cando a democracia non funciona por culpa da corrupción,

economic instability, or extreme political polarization.

da inestabilidade económica, ou por unha polarización política extrema.

At these moments,

Nestes momentos,

people may be willing to give up some democratic rights and freedoms

a xente amósase disposta a renunciar a algúns dereitos e liberdades

for hopes of a better future.

a cambio dun futuro mellor.

Authoritarian-leaning leaders present themselves

Os líderes con tendencias autoritarias preséntanse

as the ones who can fix everything.

como os que poden solucionalo todo.

They distill complex problems into simple talking points

Reducen problemas complexos a simples asuntos que debater

and promise quick solutions.

e prometen solucións rápidas.

Some of the most overt authoritarian leaders have taken this strategy,

Algúns dos líderes máis autoritarios tomaron esta estratexia,

including military dictators who seized control through coups

incluíndo ditadores militares que tomaron o control con golpes de Estado

like Augusto Pinochet, Mobuto Sese Seko, and Muammar Gaddafi.

como Augusto Pinochet, Mobutu Sese Seko e Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi, for example, initially asserted himself as a revolutionary hero,

Gaddafi, por exemplo, declarouse ao inicio como un heroe revolucionario,

canceling the country's exploitative foreign oil contracts.

anulando os explotadores contratos de petróleo estranxeiros.

But the longer he was in power, the more riddled with paranoia he became.

Pero canto máis permanecía no poder, máis inzado de paranoia estaba.

Like Pinochet and Mobuto, he used his position to target and torture opponents,

Como Pinochet e Mobutu, usou o seu status para intimidar e torturar os opoñentes,

embark on campaigns of mass violence against everyday people,

enlearse en campañas de violencia en masa contra xente común,

and build an enormous personal fortune.

e amasar unha enorme fortuna persoal.

Other modern dictators were initially elected democratically,

Outros ditadores modernos foron inicialmente elixidos democraticamente,

then strategically accumulated power by embracing authoritarian forms of control.

e foron acaparando poder estratexicamente ao adoptar formas de control autoritarias.

Italy’s Benito Mussolini and Germany’s Adolf Hitler, for example,

Benito Mussolini en Italia e Adolf Hitler en Alemaña, por exemplo,

gained popularity during waves of mass discontent.

gañaron popularidade durante vagas de descontento masivo.

Both channeled economic woes into racist rhetoric and embraced fascism,

Ambos canalizaron a miseria cara unha retórica racista e o fascismo,

a type of authoritarianism which exalts the importance of one nation, or race,

un tipo de réxime autoritario que enxalza a importancia dunha nación, ou raza,

above all others.

por enriba de tódalas demais.

Once in office, such leaders gradually dismantle checks on their power,

Unha vez ao mando, estes líderes van desmantelando os controis de poder,

including removing judges who might rule against them,

incluso expulsando xuíces que puidesen pronunciarse contra eles,

abolishing term limits,

abolindo os límites de mandato,

or refusing to acknowledge unfavorable election results.

ou negándose a aceptar os resultados desfavorables nas eleccións.

Since they punish dissenting voices,

Posto que castigan as voces en contra,

dictators are often surrounded with yes-men,

os ditadores rodéanse de persoas submisas,

who are promoted based on loyalty over expertise,

que son ascendidas segundo a súa fidelidade, e non o seu coñecemento,

ultimately wreaking incalculable economic, social, and environmental costs.

causando á fin uns incalculables custos económicos, sociais e medioambientais.

But these costs can also be hidden from view.

Pero estes custos pode que non se vexan a simple vista.

Dictators build up cults of personality by minimizing negative coverage

Os ditadores fomentan a divinización da súa figura minimizando a mala prensa

and pushing positive propaganda that presents them as strong or heroic.

e fomentando a propaganda positiva que os presenta como fortes e heroicos.

This can make it almost impossible to accurately measure their success.

Isto fai que sexa case imposible medir con exactitude o seu éxito.

Did Mussolini really make the trains run on time?

Realmente conseguiu Mussolini que os trens fosen puntuais?

It’s hard to know, since he would have punished those who said otherwise.

É dificil de saber, xa que castigaría aqueles que dixesen o contrario.

While some modern dictators have brought modest growth

Ben que algúns ditadores modernos trouxeron un certo crecemento

to their nation’s economies and industries,

ás economías e industrias da súa nación,

most have enriched the few and left widespread destruction in their wake.

a maioría enriqueceron aos poucos de arriba, destruíndo todo ao seu paso.

Even so-called benevolent dictators, whose regimes lacked overt violence,

Mesmo os chamados ditadores benévolos, que non exerceron violencia explícita,

stand accused of censoring journalists

son acusados de censurar xornalistas

and limiting the rights and freedoms of citizens.

e limitar os dereitos e liberdades dos cidadáns.

Back to ancient Rome.

Volvendo á antiga Roma.

Perhaps the most important dimension

Quizais a dimensión máis importante

of Cincinnatus’ legendary benevolent dictatorship

da lendaria ditadura benevolente de Cincinato

is not that he held total power,

non era que tivese todo o poder,

but that he gave it up after only 16 days.

senón que o abandonou tras só 16 días.

Once Rome was safe, he stepped down and retired to his fields.

Unha vez que Roma estaba a salvo, renunciou e consagrouse aos seus campos.

His willingness to relinquish control to the senate was as important

A súa disposición a ceder o control ao senado foi tan importante

to the common good as his ability to fend off invaders.

para o ben común como a súa habilidade para defender dos invasores.

In practice, no modern dictator has lived up to this ideal.

Na práctica, ningún ditador actual conseguiu estar á altura deste ideal.

Dictators don’t willingly walk away from power,

Os ditadores non deixan o poder por vontade propia,

they continuously crave more.

senón que ansían cada vez máis.

That’s why institutions that provide checks on leaders must be safeguarded:

Por iso as institucións que controlan o poder dos líderes deben ser protexidas:

in the hands of an aspiring dictator,

en mans dun potencial ditador,

even seemingly robust democracies

incluso as democracias que semellan robustas

can sink into repressive, authoritarian regimes.

poden caer en réximes represivos e autoritarios.