Why Dictators Are a Very Bad Idea

A recent IO9 article on “The Perfect Health Regimen that Only an Absolute Dictator Could Impose” accidentally explains why absolute dictators are a very bad idea. The article starts with a routine invocation of the Nanny State and then turns worse:

Most of us know a bunch of simple rules to improve our health — and most of us don't follow them at all. A few people do eat five to ten servings of local organic fruit and vegetables every day…

Stop there. There is little evidence to show that organic food is healthy (it's more a matter of pretending to eat healthy) and no evidence to show local food is healthy. That little phrase should have been enough to predict that the rest of the article would be a matter of reporting dubious studies that haven't been checked properly.

An absolute dictator is someone with the power to impose his/her/its/whatever ideas without regard for whether or not they make sense and to repress any criticism of them.