What is less bad: a corrupt and useless democracy, or an honest and helpful dictatorship?

[Tooting Carmen]

In other words, is it better to have a highly corrupt democracy where the Government (regardless of party) ultimately provides little-to-no help to its citizens when it comes to their basic welfare? Or a (relatively) clean dictatorship that ensures that all its citizens have healthcare, education, housing, food and preferably more besides? In short, would you prefer the Dominican Republic or Cuba, the Philippines or Singapore?

[Bloodsport]

I think a dictatorship is better than a democracy unless the democracy contains an extremely educated general public.

[Trun]

In other words, is it better to have a highly corrupt democracy where the Government (regardless of party) ultimately provides little-to-no help to its citizens when it comes to their basic welfare? Or a (relatively) clean dictatorship that ensures that all its citizens have healthcare, education, housing, food and preferably more besides? In short, would you prefer Guatemala or Cuba, the Philippines or Singapore?

If Cuba was provided with everything, its citizens wouldn't risk their lives crossing the Florida stream by hand-made boats.

[Tooting Carmen]

I think a dictatorship is better than a democracy unless the democracy contains an extremely educated general public.

Please elaborate.

[Tooting Carmen]

If Cuba was provided with everything, its citizens wouldn't risk their lives crossing the Florida stream.

(1) The embargo is just as much of a cause of Cuba's hardships as the failings of its own Government. When it had enjoyed Soviet subsidies, it was OK. (2) Having said that, everyone in Cuba still has access to food, housing, healthcare and education (even if none of them are especially luxurious, to say the least), whereas that isn't true for the poorest Dominicans. (3) The DR and other similar countries also have very high rates of emigration, so what does that prove?

[Jackson]

Benevolent dictatorship. Although a bad dictatorship would be worse than a bad democracy.

[Bloodsport]

Please elaborate.

People are incapable of governing themselves. Democracy causes chaos and constant conflict. To cut it short, if you've read Leviathan by Hobbes you have my views pretty accurately. I think a just dictatorship or 'philosopher kings' like Plato might have a higher success rate, but I also think that there is the information on the internet for people to become conscious, aware citizens, should they decide to use their brains (which they won't).

[Tooting Carmen]

Benevolent dictatorship. Although a bad dictatorship would be worse than a bad democracy.

I'm inclined to agree with that.

[Tooting Carmen]

Re Cuba, its education system is actually among the best in the world, and something like 12% of the world's entire scientists come from there. As for its healthcare, while the doctors are very well-trained, hospitals and clinics do suffer from shortages of certain medicines and equipment (again, this is in part at least due to the embargo).

[Trun]

(1) The embargo is just as much of a cause of Cuba's hardships as the failings of its own Government. When it had enjoyed Soviet subsidies, it was OK. (2) Having said that, everyone in Cuba still has access to food, housing, healthcare and education (even if none of them are especially luxurious, to say the least), whereas that isn't true for the poorest Guatemalans. (3) Guatemala and other similar countries also have very high rates of emigration, so what does that prove?

Guatemala recently had dictatorships and a civil war. Find a better example. Still I doubt the situation is worse than in Cuba, probably similar.