I remember hearing Harry Browne talk about dictator syndrome.  I also remember reading about it, but I thought it was an article. I recently discovered that it was in his book, Why Government Doesn’t Work, where he wrote about dictator syndrome.

This is an affliction that is suffered by almost every human adult, including libertarians.  You think to yourself, “What if I were in charge?”  The problem is that when you fantasize about being in charge, sometimes you actually think that you can be in charge, or that your thoughts can be carried out by others.

This is where libertarians tend to be realists.  You can say, “If I were in charge, I would do this and this.”  But hardcore libertarians understand that nobody should be in charge, at least when it comes to using initiated force. And also, if they were in charge, they would not be capable of running other people’s lives, or at least not well.

Think about the so-called democratic socialists out there.  They have these grand visions for society, if only everyone would go along with them.  But people aren’t going to go along with them, because they have their own interests.

This is why a socialist society that is enforced will result in authoritarianism and tyranny. People aren’t going to continually go against their own interests, especially when they are living poorly. Most people aren’t going to work hard just to see their productivity consumed by others.  Most people aren’t going to abide by the law if the law means mass starvation.

In a socialist society, the dictator has a choice of either not fully carrying out his socialist agenda, or else turning to extreme violence.  This is why hundreds of millions of people have died at the hands of their own government.

But even in a more mixed economy such as the present-day United States, there is widespread dictator syndrome.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to be an authoritarian dictator.  Your goals might be very well intended to help people.  But the problem is that you are assuming that you can dictate the policy just as you prescribe it.

There are two problems with prescribing policies of more state intervention in order to supposedly help people.

First, what you prescribe may not be what other people want.  And the only way to enforce it is through initiated violence.

Second, even if a large portion of the people actually did want what you are proposing, the end result would not be anything like what you proposed.

Unintended Consequences

It is on this second point that Harry Browne spoke of the dictator syndrome.  People make this incredibly naïve presumption that the policy they (or their favorite politician) are proposing will magically perform just as intended.

They don’t consider the lobbyists and special interests.  They don’t consider constituents telling their representatives to include certain language in a bill.  They don’t consider the deal making in Congress.  They don’t consider the interests of those who make large political donations.  They don’t consider the lawyers writing the legislation.  They don’t consider the administrative agencies and their bureaucrats who will implement the legislation.  They don’t consider the interpretations of the legislation by the administrative agencies and the courts.

As Harry stated, “By the time your program has run this gauntlet, it will be far bigger and far more expensive (in money and disrupted lives) than you had imagined.  And it will have been twisted to satisfy many factions.  In fact, your program may end up being the opposite of what you had intended.”

I have used this tactic against people because of their partisan politics.  For example, if a Democrat today were to cheer on some kind of intervention (let’s say, in Syria), then I can just say, “Oh, you think Donald Trump knows what’s best for Syria?”

Likewise, if a Republican says he wants stronger drug enforcement or to have a more conservative education curriculum, you can say, “Oh, you want Nancy Pelosi and the lobbyists to keep drugs off our streets?”  Or, “you want Nancy Pelosi and a future Democratic president teaching your kids?”

I have heard many people propose that it should be an education requirement to learn personal finance in high school.  This sounds like a good idea, until you think about the fact that it would be implemented by government bureaucrats and taught by government employees. Think “Common Core”.  It would also be ironic that the government – with a current national debt exceeding $22 trillion – would give a lesson on personal finance.

I think there is a bit of dictator syndrome in all of us.  The key is to let people know that they are not actually the dictator and they probably never will be the dictator.  The things you propose now will be used against you in the future.  If you want to be a dictator, then focus on controlling your own life.