Stalin and Hitler delivered strong government...

One of the selling points of primitive and undemocratic FPP is that it provides “strong, stable government.” What Stephen Harper once said was a “benign dictatorship.”

I imagine the idea can warm the cockles of your heart if you're the Father Knows Best type.

Is strong government good government?

But aside from base feelings, does awarding absolute corrupt power to a “dictator” — benign or otherwise — really offer any advantages?

Sure there won't be any conflict between governing parties as can happen when two or more parties share power. There's no danger of dreaded gridlock — that end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario where parties are forced to work together and come up with a compromise.

But the problem with letting a minority party make all the decisions — unchallenged with no checks or balances — is that they can make really bad decisions and there's no way of stopping them. There's also the slight hitch that the vast majority of voters is left out of the process.

Conclusion

So forget benign dictatorships, not-so-benign dictatorships and shiny-pony dictatorships with a big sparkling smile. Real democracy is the only solution.