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

翻译人员: Siqi Zhang 校对人员: Sue Lu

According to legend, the ancient Roman statesman Cincinnatus

据传说，古罗马政治家辛辛纳图斯

was plowing his fields when news arrived that the Aequi,

是在耕地时听到埃奎人入侵的消息，

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

他们是位于罗马东部的强敌。

Rome was in need of swift, decisive action,

罗马需要采取迅速果断的行动，

and the senate had chosen him to serve as dictator,

参议院便选择他担任独裁者，

with absolute power over the military and government.

对军队和政府拥有绝对权力。

Cincinnatus set down his plow, took control and,

辛辛纳图斯放下农事，接管政局，

in a matter of weeks, saved Rome.

在短短几周内拯救了罗马。

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

这个故事强化了“仁慈的独裁者”神话，

the idea of a leader who holds absolute power,

即领导者拥有绝对权力，

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

但仅将其用于共同利益，有效解决问题，

and create a just regime.

和建立公正的政权。

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

但当今世界存在真正仁慈的独裁者吗？

Nations established modern democracies to safeguard

各国建立现代民主政体就是为了

against the potentially destructive whims of a single individual.

防范单个人的潜在破坏性冲动。

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

运作正常时，民主政体能使社会更自由，

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

并通过防范腐败和滥用权力来实现稳定。

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

做到这点要靠定期举行自由公平的选举，

imposing term limits,

规定任期限制，

and establishing strong legislative branches and court systems.

以及建立强大的立法部门和法院系统。

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

维护新闻自由也有助于 让政客对其行为负责，

and encourages citizens to engage in their governments and communities.

并鼓励公民参与政府和社区事务。

In a dictatorship, absolute or near-absolute power

在独裁统治中， 近乎绝对的权力由一人掌握。

is held by a single individual

who is free to impose their vision on society.

这人可以自由地将其理念强加给社会。

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

有时，独裁者的想法似乎很有吸引力，

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

比如当一个民主国家的运作由于腐败、

economic instability, or extreme political polarization.

经济不稳定或极端政治两极化时。

At these moments,

在这个时候，

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

人们可能愿意放弃一些民主权利和自由，

for hopes of a better future.

期望以此换取更好的未来。

Authoritarian-leaning leaders present themselves

独裁倾向的领导人

as the ones who can fix everything.

自称能够解决一切问题。

They distill complex problems into simple talking points

他们将复杂问题提炼成简单的话题，

and promise quick solutions.

并许诺快速的解决方案。

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

一些最公开的独裁者已采取过这种策略，

including military dictators who seized control through coups

包括通过政变夺取控制权的军事独裁者，

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

如奥古斯托·皮诺切（Augusto Pinochet）、 蒙布托·塞塞·塞科（Mobuto Sese Seko）

和穆阿迈尔·卡扎菲（Muammar Gaddafi）。

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

以卡扎菲作为例，最初自称是革命英雄，

canceling the country's exploitative foreign oil contracts.

取消了该国受剥削的外国石油合同

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

但是他执政的时间越长，就变得越偏执。

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

像皮诺切和蒙布托一样， 卡扎菲利用职权打击和折磨反对者，

embark on campaigns of mass violence against everyday people,

发起针对普通人的大规模暴力运动，

and build an enormous personal fortune.

还积攒了巨额的个人财富。

Other modern dictators were initially elected democratically,

其他现代独裁者最初由民主选举产生，

then strategically accumulated power by embracing authoritarian forms of control.

然后通过独裁式控制战略性地积累权力。

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

例如，意大利的贝尼托·墨索里尼 和德国的阿道夫·希特勒，

gained popularity during waves of mass discontent.

都是在群众不满情绪的浪潮中大受欢迎。

Both channeled economic woes into racist rhetoric and embraced fascism,

两者都将经济困境转化为种族主义言论，

并拥护法西斯主义，这是一种独裁主义，

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

将一个国家或种族的重要性 置于其他所有国家或种族之上。

above all others.

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

一旦上任，这些领导人 就会逐渐取消对其权力的制约，

including removing judges who might rule against them,

包括罢免作出对他们不利裁决的法官，

abolishing term limits,

取消任期限制，

or refusing to acknowledge unfavorable election results.

或拒绝承认对其不利的选举结果。

Since they punish dissenting voices,

由于独裁者惩罚异议者，

dictators are often surrounded with yes-men,

围绕在他们身边的都是谄媚者，

who are promoted based on loyalty over expertise,

这些人的晋升依据忠心度而非专业水平，

ultimately wreaking incalculable economic, social, and environmental costs.

最终对经济、社会和环境造成极大损失。

But these costs can also be hidden from view.

但是这些损失也可以被隐瞒起来。

Dictators build up cults of personality by minimizing negative coverage

为建立个人崇拜， 独裁者会尽量减少负面报道,

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

推动正面宣传，将自己塑造为强者或英雄。

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

因此，很难准确衡量他们的成就。

Did Mussolini really make the trains run on time?

墨索里尼真的让火车运行准时了吗？

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

很难说，因为他会惩罚不这样说的人。

While some modern dictators have brought modest growth

尽管一些现代独裁者

为国家的经济和工业带来小幅增长，

to their nation’s economies and industries,

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

但大多数独裁者只致富了少数人， 却造成广泛的破坏。

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

即使所谓的仁慈独裁者们， 虽然其政权缺乏公开的暴力，

stand accused of censoring journalists

也被指控审查记者

and limiting the rights and freedoms of citizens.

和限制公民的权利和自由。

Back to ancient Rome.

再回到古罗马来。

Perhaps the most important dimension

也许辛辛纳图斯仁的 慈独裁统治传奇最重要方面

of Cincinnatus’ legendary benevolent dictatorship

is not that he held total power,

不是他掌握了全部权力，

but that he gave it up after only 16 days.

而是他在仅 16 天后就放弃了权力。

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

罗马安全后，他就下了台，退隐田园。

His willingness to relinquish control to the senate was as important

他愿意将控制权交还参议院，

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

这与他抵御入侵者的能力一样， 对共同利益至关重要。

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

没有一个现代独裁者能做得这么完美。

Dictators don’t willingly walk away from power,

独裁者们不愿放弃权力，

they continuously crave more.

而且不断渴望得到更多。

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

因此必须保护制约领导人的机构：

in the hands of an aspiring dictator,

在有野心的独裁者手中，

even seemingly robust democracies

即使是看似强大的民主国家

can sink into repressive, authoritarian regimes.

也可能沦为专制压迫的独裁政权。