Meanwhile, 44 percent backed the American tradition of competing branches of government as a model, if sometimes ā€œfrustrating,ā€ system.

Why would people want to live under an authoritarianā€™s thumb? Itā€™s rooted, experts say, in a psychological need for securityā€”real or perceivedā€”and a desire for conformity, a goal that becomes even more acute as the country undergoes dramatic demographic and social changes. People also like to obey a strong leader who will protect the groupā€”especially if it is the ā€œrightā€ group whose interests will be protected. Recall the Trump supporter who, during the 2019 government shutdown, complained, ā€œHeā€™s not hurting the people he needs to be hurting.ā€

  • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    Iā€™m 100% in favor of me being a dictator for life but otherwise Iā€™m pretty sure democracy is a good idea.

    • astronaut_sloth@mander.xyz
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      4 months ago

      Iā€™m 100% in favor of me being a dictator for life

      This right here. Even as a kid studying history, I never understood why someone would support a dictator. When I was like 9 or 10, we were learning about WW2 or something, and I said, ā€œWait, Mrs. <History Teacher>, youā€™re saying people wanted Hitler to be a dictator and voted for him? Why would someone give up the possibility of being leader themselves?!ā€ I couldnā€™t comprehend how someone wouldnā€™t want to at least have the possibility of having supreme executive authority.

      Like, if it were me in charge, then Iā€™m all for it, but some other person? HELLLLLLLL NO! It could be Gary down the block, and heā€™s an asshole.

    • UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      Being a dictator is a prison with a firing squad at the end of your sentence.

      Iā€™d rather take LSD and play valheim.

      • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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        4 months ago

        Iā€™ll do it. Put me in coach.

        Iā€™ll outlaw most private vehicles, fund public transit, convert corporate governance to market socialism (the employees of a company should own the company - not rent seeking investors).

        After all that, bring on the bullets.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      I would NOT want to be supreme leader for life, but Iā€™d like to think Iā€™d do a lot to benefit people. Yā€™all could, and usually do, do worse than me, but youā€™d have to catch me first