A GOOD Dictatorship? El Salvador, Ecuador, and Gang Violence

[@historyofeverythingpodcast]

My friends, if something happens to you, and my god do I pray it does not. But if it does then remember you can check out Morgan and Morgan www.forthepeople.com/free-case-evaluation/get-a-lawyer/youtube-social/?HistoryofEverything

[@janbananberg357]

Like how the gangs started out as vigilantes, will the benevolent dictator turn bad?

[@eliscerebralrecyclingbin7812]

26 likes 😝

[@KS-PNW]

Shame on you dude. You're blatantly praising a police state.

[@KS-PNW]

​@@janbananberg357they pretty much always do..

[@jaredmccain7555]

​@KS-PNW I mean this genuinely, how would you solve the problem? Would not be surprised if this doesn't work out long term tho. Also he does in the video say that the government has committed human rights violations.

[@jonathanvilario5402]

Salvadorean here, I cannot express how much El Salvador has changed under Bukale. For the first time my family isn't talking about the occasional murder they heard about in their old neighborhood. It's amazing, and so great to see people finally seeing hope for the future of the country

[@sanguisbumb6138]

You have to be careful though. Bukale won’t always be around and the system he set up can be very easily used against the people.

[@MastemaJack]

Depends how everything goes if the problem with the gangs is dealt with

[@CsStoker]

@@sanguisbumb6138 It's a small price to pay

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@sanguisbumb6138 Presidents are only supposed to be around for 5 years.

[@veronicamaine3813]

Supposed to be... we will see what happens@@Qwerty-jy9mj, History generally tells us that dictatorships almost inevitably lead to abuse. Once the back of the gangs is broken, what will these leaders say needs to stay in place? The control of the media? the control of legislator branch? the use of torture in prison's? the denial of a fair trial? what bout the removal of fair elections? Its what comes next that worries people most.

[@lalluvia6570]

My husband is Salvadoran and hasn't been home for 18 years ! My two boys have never meet their grandfather .. I never felt it was safe enough to visit. When El Salvador was called "the murder capital of the world" 😬But we are finally going In April! His family there has seen the changes slowly but surely and we're finally comfortable with going .. actually extremely excited! ❤

[@Slayerbros8]

Just got back from El Salvador after not being there since 2001 and wow the country is super safe. I thought I would never go back much less bring my family over.

[@martingiloyarzun8744]

wait you haven't seen your husband in 18 years? Tf

[@samuelloomis9714]

@martingiloyarzun8744 You misread. Reread the first sentence. I thought the same and had to reread it.

[@glennpro4323]

Hearing about el Salvadors president makes me kinda think of the old Roman meaning of dictator where one leader is given extraordinary power to solve a crisis

[@matthew1995king]

Ah yes the origin of the word.

[@MM-jn7nb]

Let us hope that when the crisis ends he does what most dictators don’t and step down.

[@storytellingchampion6438]

And what was so unique was that almost all of the dictators of Rome stepped down and gave up power when their task/time in office was done.

[@dsmith4140]

Hopefully he NEVER steps down

[@caliburn1123]

​@@MM-jn7nbmost dictators actually did that in the Roman Empire

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

Regardless of what you think of Bukele, how he won is an important lesson that a lot of government "leaders" ignore: societies have a breaking point. Sooner or later, it doesn't matter how unlikely it might seem, if the population perceives that things just keep getting worse and worse, they will flip on you.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

Something similar happened with Milei

[@wojak-sensei6424]

Many politicians these days think that the state existed before society and not the other way around. Sooner or later, something's gotta give. And the more they push it to the fringes and ignore the problem, or flub the reform so much that it makes the problem worse, the more violence that inevitable change would reap.

[@notFR4]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj or North Korea

[@San_Vito]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj Yes, but he's losing support really fast as the economy continues to get even worse than before. I have serious doubts about him reaching the end of his term.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@San_Vito ?? He just got re elected like the day before yesterday. Re election is unconstitutional in El Salvador but it's not like that matters anymore... You're right about the rest though, the country went into technical default twice in the past 5 years

[@steven_tesla1911]

My friends from El Salvador that came to America said that they didn’t have any true experience of human rights when them and their families lived there. The civil war made a life where you kind of kept your head down and tried not to paint any sort of target on your back, and his parents tried very hard to not get into any sort of trouble by becoming politically active. This lasted until they fled in 1989 to the US, and then they ended up in Alaska through the Catholic Church’s refugee program. When I asked them about Bukele’s actions they said “cuando vivíamos en el salvador nunca tuvimos derechos humanos”when we lived in El Salvador we never had human rights, and they thought that this might be the beginning of a new future for their homeland that they never wanted to visit due to family members still there warning about the gang violence perpetrated against everyone. They don’t agree with everything he’s doing, but they said that when you’re already living in hell, anything is preferable to continually living in a place where you don’t see a future for yourself and your kids. Great video Stakuyi!

[@Biggydiggly]

I find it interesting that those "human rights organizations" couldn't have cared less about the average Salvadoran until Bukale came about and started arresting the perpetrators.

[@prestonjones1653]

All they care about is optics and the tears of liberal white women.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

Human right watch groups have been preventing crime deterrence policy in El Salvador for over 30 years since the peace accords of '92. Nothing about this is new.

[@vintce6019]

how else are they funded? From drug money and blood money bribes

[@kiwi_bird]

I was thinking the same

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

El Salvador had been trying to repress crime for over 20 years by the time Bukele began his crackdown. Human rights overseeing was mostly captured by the left during the early post war period (El Salvador had a civil war that lasted 12 years that ended in 1992) and they constantly ran cover for gangs as they became more and more prevalent, the idea being that they were a sign of how poverty was making people turn to crime and this it was a reflection of government failure and by extension the post war, liberal democratic form of government. This ignored the fact that there were other neighboring countries which were poorer but had less crime. tl;dr this is not new

[@PenneyBack]

This is one of those difficult truths to swallow. But if you live in a country where violent gangs run the streets, and then a dictator comes in and makes radical changes and suddenly you're safe. How can you argue with the results? What will be interesting is if it it's sustainable. Or of there an exit strategy to something more 'normal'.

[@jordinagel1184]

That’s the thing, these kinds of things rarely are. Yes, the dictator comes along and, in a time where the political realm is marred with corruption and indecision, and laws no longer govern the streets, he creates a semblance of order. He may even clean up the larger problems entirely. Question is, what then? This kind of power isn’t one you so easily give away. Now that the “enemy” has been dealt with, the dictator will have to actually come up with ways of rebuilding his nation (just excising the cancer is but half the job). This is where they usually stumble. Around this time, criticism may start to appear from inside the country as well; but the dictator still isn’t done with his great work, so he mustn’t let these voices of dissent distract him, and they are silenced (or severely limited in expression). This is where the “benevolent” dictatorship stops and tyranny begins. These things never work out in the long term. El Salvador may be winning its fight against gang violence; once that is dealt with, the state of emergency used to do that may just not be lifted for “peacetime.” At that point, the solution will have become the problem.

[@MrGksarathy]

@@jordinagel1184 Thank you for putting this so well. Even now, the cracks in Bukele's populist authoritarianism are showing.

[@cristianespinal9917]

​@@jordinagel1184 Slightly authoritarian elected government on the one hand - capriciously authoritarian narcostate on the other... such difficult choices.

[@StealthXD1]

@@jordinagel1184 It's not the first dictator that is the one to be feared, it's the one who succeeds him.

[@dairebulson7122]

I'm certainly not going to dispute Bukele's results with his "radical changes" to law enforcement, but the path to a long-term solution must also include radical changes in economic improvement, especially for the poorest in society, the worst neighborhoods, massive poverty reduction. No matter if your government is a dictatorship or a democracy. Otherwise, El Salvador will be always be at risk of being one unforseen disaster away from collapsing back into its original state (such as a sudden economic collapse, natural disaster, a sudden event riles up large numbers of people, or even something unanticipated happening to Bukele like an untimely death or incapacitation).

[@remenir97]

I’m not exactly pro-dictatorship moves, but I cannot really find myself to disagree the fight against the gangs - especially the likes of 18th Street and MS-13.

[@thehermitman822]

The first Tyrant was a benevolent dictator but of course that doesn't last with lineage.

[@meferswift]

@@thehermitman822 then we had to see when and if bukkele fall to the seduction of powers. until then, just enjoy these respite fro mcrime

[@thatonejoey1847]

​@@meferswiftpower doesn't corrupt, it just reveals the real you. We just need to see if Bukkele has moral fiber or if it was all an act to get into power

[@meferswift]

@@thatonejoey1847 it does corrupt, by revealing the flaws in human.

[@thatonejoey1847]

@@meferswift that's not corrupting something, corrupting something would be like a piece of iron rusting when exposed to oxigen. Your logic makes absolutely no sense

[@noticedruid4985]

The problem with Dictatorships is under a good leader, great good can be achieved. But you cannot guarantee that your successors will be the same, and under a bad leader it can turn hell on Earth. And like that old saying goes "power has the tendency to corrupt while absolute power corrupts absolutely."

[@jonisalmela2399]

or that a good leader will stay a good leader

[@DerAlleinTiger]

And yet, as much as I love a good constitutional republic, who is to say that even a corrupt dictatorship is objectively worse than a corrupt republic? Republics have more checks and balances, in theory, to prevent that corruption... but once you have it, who's to say it's any better? Again, one would hope there's enough checks and balances to protect individual freedoms and liberties even against that corruption... but how long can they last, how sturdy are they, and how easily will the people themselves give those freedoms away? If we've learned anything from 2020-2022, let it be that republics and democracies by no means guarantee your freedom. Further, it's easy to bite our nails and chitter and chide about the risk of a dictatorship while sitting comfy in developed, first-world countries where the risk of our children being forcefully recruited into a heinous gang at gunpoint from their very own classrooms is as close to zero as it can reasonably get. Or the risk of being kidnapped and tortured for hours on end in the most brutal and sadistic ways while it's filmed and put online for the world to see. I'm hardly one to call for dictatorships and praise them, but I can absolutely sympathize with the people who say "Fuck it, I'll take the risk of even a corrupt authoritarian regime over this shit. At least they'll take out the trash and show me a line to walk." I wouldn't want it compared to what I have now... but I get it, and sometimes I can't help but wonder if the idea of republics and democracies won't wind up in a bell curve across human history where they see a decline as the world grows more chaotic and people start to believe they don't actually prevent corruption or loss of freedom.

[@cristianespinal9917]

When your country is already hell on earth, what is there to lose? Not that he is a dictator, just that the liberal Anglo-Sphere genuinely prefers criminals to law. The American media will bend over backwards to paint the worst criminals as victims of an unjust society, a rotten criminal justice system, and corruption. They do it because the media class never is the group that lives among the criminals. It's the poor who suffer predation by these animals. It's the poor's children children in El Salvador who are recruited to these gangs. It's the poor who get graped for turning down a certain mob guy hitting on her, or get mutilated for merely talking to some gangster's girlfriend. American liberals are so disconnected from the hell that these gangs have created that criticism of Bukele's tactics only tells me how sheltered and naive an existence the critic has.

[@KOCChristian]

What happen in Rome with Ceasar and Augustus Rome flourish the empire, then next generation literally ruined the dynasty. Why these power should be limited. Or change. Something like FDR where the balance of normal election should take place.

[@Dinawartotem]

He should probably aim to elevate himself from the traditional politics in El Salvador by being crowned by the pope, bringing reform to the system by reducing the power of the presidency, and then letting the people continue to vote for prime ministers with some checks and balances with the banks, the army and court system swearing loyalty to the crown and the nation. The best way to guarantee succession is to make it permanent and keep it in the family.

[@WeyounSix]

The problem with dictatorships is they CAN actually work. Having top-down power does allow some things to get done fast, because of unilateral cooperation (by force or not). The ONLY time that I have ever seen a dictatorial government concede to democracy by their own hand was in Taiwan, where the dictatorial party decided to hold genuine elections, and lose control over the government, to avoid the people hating the party as a whole and wanting it disbanded. They settled for control sometimes when they are voted for, over no control ever if they got overthrown. The people noticed and knew about this move, and because of this, even though they lost the first election they held, they WON the second one, because with their decision they hadn't lost support of the people. Something like that should happen here. Here's hoping.

[@historyofeverythingpodcast]

Taiwan would be a fascinating story to tell

[@azkon7975]

There was a very fascinating youtube video on the topic. The ruling party saw the writing on the wall. If they continued to rule, they would be overthrown and lose everything. If they moved to a democracy like everyone wanted, and just became one of the big parties, then they would survive. It's such an interesting case where sheer pragmatism led to democracy.

[@watchm4ker]

The problem is twofold. Truly benevolent dictatorships can't exist, because the conditions that *create* a dictator mean SOMEONE is getting the business end of the Government. In this case, the Gangs. But rational, pragmatic dictators are not unknown, and can use their powers wisely, for the benefit of most of their country. The other problem, however, is that unless there's a system in place to transition out of a dictatorship, even a well-intentioned ruler will not give up their power. Once they do, after all, they must have trust in the system that replaces them. But it's a fair bet that if they trusted democracy, *they wouldn't have become a dictator in the first place.* And so they cling to power, telling themselves that it's OK. They'll just do it later. Once they're certain. Someday.

[@MrGksarathy]

This is stupid pro-dictator cope because authoritarian governments are notoriously inefficient and mismanaged due to constant infighting in the government apparatus and extreme built-in corruption. Not to mention, not having a healthy civil society quite literally impoverishes the country by stifling intellectual activity, encouraging brain drain, and allowing the government to make more and more irrational decisions without any guardrails.

[@jamaigar]

Spain is a similar case. When Franco died in 1975, the major players of power mostly agree to transition to the democracy we live in. A lot of politicians that ruled under Franco were still around in the major right wing party of the country (partido popular)@@azkon7975

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

As a citizen of one of the countries that want to emulate El Salvador, I can say that (at least for my country) our leaders just want to front. The biggest problem in a lot of those countries isn't gang violence, but rampant political corruption.

[@buddhapunch2486]

The 90% drop in murder now seems to prove that yes, gangs are the problem.

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

@@buddhapunch2486 In El Salvador. I very clearly mentioned that I am from a different nation that wants to copy El Salvador.

[@michelarsenault4088]

Jesus christ, The president is going Hard on Crime I respect him for being so hard core on crime, he might make the country safe for good

[@flazzorb]

I only hope there aren't any innocents being swept up in it all.

[@michelarsenault4088]

@@flazzorb there probably are, but the numbers would be incredibly low given how easy it is to tell who is in a gang and not

[@flazzorb]

@@michelarsenault4088 What about former gang members and those were pressganged in? It's not always a black and white of definite member and definite not.

[@vintce6019]

@@flazzorb "Former gang member". Basically someone who did criminal actions before without paying the price.

[@thatonejoey1847]

​@@flazzorbthere is no "former gang member" in El Salvador, you leave in a bodybag. And if you are forced into joining a gang, you are forced to become a killer or you and your family will be the one being buried, and after that you will still be used to kill people for the gang. There are no innocents involved in gangs only victims of their violence

[@lamb_link]

I honestly think the worst part any time the current state of El Salvador is brought up is the people who show up and opine about the conditions and extent of the nations prisons system/prisoners. These people are most often from very comfortable first world nations, the idea of a gang of armed men entering the schools of their children to forcefully conscript them into a gang that’s practices are unfathomably vile is essentially so unthinkable that they could never empathise with the average people of El Salvador who experience this. So much so that a “poor criminal” who’s being “mistreated” is an easier figure for them to relate too. It reeks of the type of privilege that the rest of the world is too violent and chaotic to have.

[@Evil0tto]

Exactly this. People who complain that El Salvador has become a dictatorship are almost inevitably comfortable western liberals who have no idea what it's like to live in a gang-infested shithole. It's easy to criticize and go on about "democracy" and "human rights" when you're not the one at constant risk.

[@MrGksarathy]

A lot of the people arrested by Bukele haven't even been charged with a crime, though.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

There's something true about this, but the problem isn't limited to the conditions people are kept but also why they're kept there. The standard isn't anything more than probable cause and once you're detained it can take up to six months just to get a hearing

[@sorantohell5096]

​@MrGksarathy the vast majority have affiliation to the gang in 1 one or another.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@sorantohell5096 False Edit: you mean the arrests, ok I would expect that most of them do have some sort of link. "Most" can still be as low as half plus one

[@dathore]

As someone that lives in latin america, I often hear talks about human rights violations and such, but it's hard for me to feel for the people whos rights are being violated, when I've seen videos of them cutting a guy's head off or gutting someone like a pig and posting it on social media, the horrors these gangs perpetrate on the daily has robed people of every bit of hope, so when I see that some of them got gunned down or locked away without trial, I get why people are talking about a slippery slope, but at the same time, I've seen first hand what these gangs do, so it goes against everything in me to feel like it's not what they deserve.

[@Anomaly-uz9pr]

I’m American but I’ve seen a lot of videos of the gang killings some of those murders are so brutal I can’t get them out of my head and I’m a pretty desensitized person I’ve also met many people from Latin America in the United States Army and all of them have been amazing people

[@keifer7813]

You're conflating them with innocents getting caught in these arrests. The reason everyone should have a right to due process is because we _don't_ know that they're guilty until they are proven to be. If they are, then yeah I don't have much sympathy for them. But if they're not? Then that's horrible

[@unknown23hornet22]

Stability for its citizens is the most important job of a government. That is why America overthrowing governments in the name of freedom is poorly received.

[@fangride3577]

Part of the freedoms that Americans have is to provide there own safety so when you have a government who isn’t providing safety to there citizens but then wants to take away there freedom to provide there own safety is part of the reason why you get people who want to replace that government

[@unknown23hornet22]

@fangride3577 it also has unfortunate the side effects of destabilizing latin American countries because of big gun trade. Securing the border both ways is likely necessary. Guns are key to the cartels' business. America is the easiest way to get them. Let's fix that.

[@-R.E.D.A.C.T.E.D-]

​@@unknown23hornet22know what's funny, these latin countries don't allow their citizens to have guns to defend themselves. You have to wake up and realize gun culture has been part of the entire continent of America for centuries. It's literally impossible to remove guns unless you want guns to obtain all the power.

[@petrie911]

​@@unknown23hornet22Huh, you don't usually see arguments that securing the border is beneficial to Latin American countries too.

[@fangride3577]

@@unknown23hornet22funny enough the department who’s responsible for doing that the ATF has actually given the cartel and gangs more guns then take them away en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal Probably being the biggest (the wiki has been edited to shift the blame but it was in fact the ATF) one of the guys in charge of the operations was nominated to be the head of the ATF but lucky was denied and this is only one of probably many cases of where they supplied firearms to the cartels and gangs

[@madtabby66]

Yes a benevolent dictator is the best government. But how long will they stay benevolent.

[@lordoblivion8038]

Power corrupt people even the most benevolent. The question being is how long can you restrain yourself and stay benevolent

[@treyhelms1917]

As a US official said: "Power tends to corrupt. And absolute power is really cool."

[@petrie911]

Not to mention whether the next guy will be benevolent.

[@sebastianluhn1908]

@@lordoblivion8038 I like another saying more. Power does not corrupt. It reveals. And trying to become president sadly filters out many good people from the beginning. Therefore the overrepresentation of assholes in power.

[@Jarekx2007]

@@petrie911 Or even competent. You can have the most noble and purest intentions and still lead your people to ruin.

[@doopdoopdopdop7424]

My dad came to Burgerland to avoid being taken by either side of the civil war. When he saw Bukele win the election and actually change things, it was one of the best smiles I ever saw.

[@JLo83]

That's heartwarming to hear. Thanks for sharing. ❤🙏👍

[@FireboltPrime]

W profile pic

[@samuelloomis9714]

In times of strife, one must consolodate power. These leaders have been elected legitimately, then become dictators to effectively deal with the terrible state of the country. To me, the violations committed by the government, inevitable in such a situation, do not compare with letting terrorists roam their country.

[@andjelabozic2317]

Tell it how it is!👍 Finally there's one person in the position of power who cares about people's security

[@spirosgreek1171]

its the decades old debate of Freedom vs Security. Whats the right balance? probably never gonna be answered. Hope this works out for El Salvador

[@johnrockwell5834]

People aren't free terrorised by gangs.

[@iowafarmboy]

Feels like El Salvador is taking a Singapore approach? Heavy handed, but economically open?

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

It's mostly a Chinese client state at this point, which was a dumb oversight by the US. Most of it's economic liberal policies come from around the time the right wing was in power around 30 years ago but we're focused more on FTA's, low deficits and dollarization but not ease of doing business. They were very corrupt so that's all people remember them for though. In any case similarly, El Salvador now "adopted" bitcoin but that alone didn't increase trade

[@hr-g4640]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj it became a chinese client because the moment el salvador started its war on crimes the USA started sanctioning the country and gave the country, which was an ally, its back, while china approached el salvador and gave it money and apporval, el salvador has now the biggest and most modern library in latinamerica, built by the chinese in other words, countries become chinese clients because the USA is an awful friend that will never help you and instead will backstab you when you need him the most

[@oldgus01]

The US being obsessed with bananas? No, that doesn't sound weird. If anything, it sounds crazy. You might even say it sounds.... Nuts.

[@kuyagab4444]

+2

[@mhak477]

You could also say they went bananas

[@oldgus01]

@@mhak477 hmmm.... Nah, too... Whaddya call it... Attached to the septum? Over the bridge? That's it. Up the nostril. Wait... Upon the face-dick.

[@treyhelms1917]

Missed an opportunity to say they went bananas. Or fruity.

[@gracchus7782]

Who can forget the old anecdote: the Germans demanded the Americans surrender, and the Americans replied: "Bananas!" The Germans are still waiting to get the joke

[@codyshi4743]

“It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice” - Deng Xiaoping

[@isaac6077]

Very wise

[@Aetrion]

I don't think dictatorships are good, but authoritarian governments that enforce absolute compliance with the laws are undoubtedly a precursor to high trust societies where it's a cultural given that you follow the rules. That doesn't come about unless at some point it was simply impossible to break the rules.

[@historyofeverythingpodcast]

How long something that can last in the first place will prove to be interesting

[@Aetrion]

@@historyofeverythingpodcast I think if you look at any society that has or had high social cohesion you find a period preceding that where it was subject to draconian laws and ruthless enforcement of social order by an effective autocratic government. It's not really a desirable thing to implement governments like that, but once they go away there are some very desirable after effects. I'm honestly not sure if there is any good way to get there.

[@Azazel-uv3sx]

@@historyofeverythingpodcast We may see a Robespierre here of sorts where a dictator paves the path to a better future whilst taking the heat for the suffering caused along that way

[@MrGksarathy]

No that isn't. These types of societies are perhaps the lowest trust societies. Of course, under capitalism, every system becomes a low trust system, and the way to actually fix that is to improve people's conditions and give them more control over their labor and their lives as a result.

[@MrGksarathy]

@@historyofeverythingpodcast It won't, I can guarantee it.

[@chrisjackson1188]

As a Brit living in Quito, Ecuador, I appreciate you making this video. The situation is supposedly the worst in living memory. Prisons are completely run by gangs with a decent armoury. I've lost track of the times people have warned me to be careful walking the streets. All hell broke loose a few weeks ago when those two narcos broke out of prison. The whole country essentially went into lockdown similar to COVID times. Gasoline bombs going off in the capital. The worst goings on are in the coast regions. What happens next? Decent content as always mate, cheers :)

[@MBunn-uf1we]

The phrase "power corrupts" is philosophically wrong. Rather power attracts the corruptible. Power exposes the character of a person to those around them.

[@rosswilliams7195]

Correct power doesn't corrupt but weakness does.

[@lovleemind2141]

I took a vacation in El Salvador back in January of 2024 with my daughter and we absolutely loved it! The capital was so clean, the people were friendly and the food was great. We felt safe, and will visit again in the future. Cheers to Bukele, his leadership should be studied and reveered. He is a great leader and clearly transforming his country for the better!

[@donaldewaggonerlll2195]

As an Ecuadorian that lives abroad, It’s nice to see that my country is getting more recognition in its time of need because knowing what’s going on, it’s not easy to accept, especially when you have family and friends you’ve known for years and that it is also affecting them, the small Hometown I grew up in has became a small war zone when the violence and destruction was a lot worse about a year ago. It does bring me hope that stuff is currently information about Ecuador that the current government is getting stuff a bit under control hopefully this end soon. And to my fellow Ecuadorians Salió patria 🇪🇨

[@daikatarokamegawa542]

Today, a popular mexican KZbinr "Luisito comunica", published a video about the life in Bukele's prisons, and social media went wild. We're seeing hundreds of idiots complaining that the human rights of the scum in those prisons are not being respected. Fortunately, given the current state of affairs in Mexico, a lot of people seems to have common sense, and are rightfully lambasting those idiots, telling them to take Bukele's offer to adopt one or two and care for them instead.

[@RensStoryteller]

Power doesn't corrupt, it reveals what's already there but hidden behind the mask of society. The more social power you have, the less masks you have to wear, and absolute power rips away all masks and reveals the absolute truths of a person's nature.

[@jesuscastillo7318]

Honestly, I do pray that he can buck the trend and can be a good dictatorship for the actual good of his country. For the tides of trends can be strong, but there can still always be outliners.

[@benrockefeller6334]

El Salvador is certainly the place where stability seems to be most possible. Something that Stakuyi left out about the situation in El Salvador and Ecuador is just how different the two nations are. El Salvador's gangs were financed primarily by extortion, while Ecuador's are funded by drugs. Ecuadorian gangs have money and firepower that MS-13 and Barrio-18 could only dream of. If Mexico, a nation far stronger than Ecuador, can't stop its gangs, then I don't think Ecuador stands a ghost of a chance even under a totalitarian dictatorship. But since I can't resist a good pun, I'll still say it. God bless Bukele, should he truly be El Salvador de El Salvador.

[@FortuneZer0]

Bukele is the best thing that has happend to El Salvador since Delgado. The ones crying out about human rights are sadly the ones that willingly sacrifice all the civilians to the murders, support or even profit from tthe drug and human trafficking and will not give a single damn about all the misery.

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

Could be. I personally, as coming from a nation still reeling from a dictatorship, am extremely wary of anyone willing to go against the constitution to remain in power. I don't think it has ever worked out in the long run.

[@FortuneZer0]

@@Fernando-ek8jp I have never read a more succinct critique of Abraham Lincoln.

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

@@FortuneZer0 Such as what? Asking the Supreme Court to ignore term limits set in the constitution?

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@Fernando-ek8jp He means suspending habeas corpus. Lincoln isn't the secular saint people paint him out to be though, comparing him to Bukele is pretty far off for both good and bad.

[@Azazel-uv3sx]

I thought: "Isnt Amnesty International the "human rights org" that gets funded by terror states and has had issues with terrorism in the past?" as well Even if they're right, which I highly doubt their accuracy, I dislike hearing an org that is on the wrong side of history as they are trying to take a position like that

[@alejandrogarcia3227]

Hey man idk if you'll read this comment but thank you very much for highlighting and talking about this topic of El Salvador! Im Mexican but Bukele is beloved by many Hispanics because he inspires hope and trust in us that we can take back our country from the gabgs and cartels! So many on the American news just point out the flaws and everything without showing the whole context! The history is important to know because most of us suffered or know someone who suffered to the gangs...

[@TheEraser312]

I don't think El Salvador is ever in a dictatorship at all. Bukele made it clear that he is delivering real democracy, and by democracy as in "the power of the people" not ,"in favour of the political elites". El Salvador is a true example of a democracy.

[@latinpapitampa]

I went las November for the 1st time in 30 years and I can tell you El Salvador is 100% safe now. The people are happy and el salvador is finally thriving thanks to President Bukele. He loves his people and doesn't care about what anyone says. That's a true leader

[@nopenothanks08]

What you say about a benevolent dictator and how things may go awry reminds me alot of a book that spoke of and compared Ethiopia's vs Tanzania's 5 year plan style policies. I think you would do a great job on Nyerere as a video subject.

[@Anonymized-name]

I'm so glad you picked up this topic, I've been fascinated by it since Wendover covered it

[@dylanj00]

I think the biggest thing with this kind of dictatorship is what happens when the problem is solved? Will they give up their power? Or with they look for new enemies in order to stay in power?

[@simonnachreiner8380]

What people in the west forget in our prosperity is that liberty is lower on the hierarchy of political needs than safety. What good is the illusion of freedom if it just means that the strong are free to extort those weaker than them. If you cannot be safe in what you have everything else is meaningless.

[@amandak.4246]

well said

[@Flummiification]

these concepts are thousands of years old. I imagine that nearly everyone would choose autocracy over a reign of crime at least to begin with.

[@MrGksarathy]

Those two are kinda the same thing.

[@prestonjones1653]

​@@MrGksarathy Ok, go tell a Salvadoran how much you love MS13 and how Bukele is the exact same as them. Maybe they won't lynch you.

[@Flummiification]

I'd say there could be a differece in severity. like bell peppers and jalapeños are kinda the same thing. at least at the moment it seems like a safer option. and he mentioned the concept of the benevolent dictator.

[@ill_A.M.G1257]

I knew about he's story but I had no idea he was a Palestinian, great story telling subbed thanks man

[@historyofeverythingpodcast]

Thank you for following along

[@prestonjones1653]

​@@calebthomas3266 Not yet, unfortunately. The Jews seem to either have inhuman levels of restraint or are the dumbest people to ever exist in thinking Arabs will ever be friends.

[@cederian]

He isnt tho, he was born and raised in El Savador, same as his father. He is of Palestinian descent.

[@hattorihaso2579]

​@@calebthomas3266 gaza is an illegally occupied territory and is occupied by israel

[@2163mechows]

​@@calebthomas3266 that always end up on fire every 10 years

[@swordsman1_messer]

I think we’re just going to have to wait and see what Bukele will do in the future. The most impressive thing is that it’s a lot of the common citizenry are what allow these actions to go through. You said it yourself, Bukele’s actions have him around an 88% approval rating, even after scrutinization, but considering that the vast majority of people seem to support him, despite many growing up in the period where they were dealing with the effects of a dictatorship, says a lot about how they approve of the pragmatism. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to when Bukele is succeeded that we can exam in for cracks in the system. Until then, man’s made statements as both a mayor and a president.

[@JR-ld2xx]

I like how you break it all down. I wish news agencies would do stuff like this. To be educated on what is going on is really useful for me. When you said benevolent dictator, reminded of me TOS in one of the episodes. Where I live has freedoms, rights etc. However, I can tell you that there are boatloads of corruption etc. If these countries are going to become of evil. Like you say, time will tell. You brought up all these agencies that prevent terrible situations, should look into where I live.

[@Mortiel]

Honestly, given how out of control things had gotten in those countries, this might have been a situation where a dictator was necessary. Like was mentioned in the video, the real test will be once the gangs are completely neutralized. The understanding is that governments rarely shrink or give up power, so what will a massive military state do without gangs to fight? It'll be interesting to see.

[@thevoidlookspretty7079]

I have a friend from El Salvador, she’s getting a biology degree. She said that in El Salvador, they’re aware he’s a dictator. They still love him, they call him Muñeco. He may be a dictator, but he brought the murder rate down. And her uncle got caught up in his arrests, and he wasn’t even a gang member. So this friend goes, “Eh, he knew the rules.”

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

That right there at the end is the reason why Bukele's program worked in El Salvador but can't work anywhere else on earth. There is no other country where routine round ups of people that lead to jail without a trial would ever fly

[@rrmordikay]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj Not in a semi-stable, democratic country sure. There is a tipping point tho and when every single person in the country personally knew several people who got murdered by gangs things will take a drastic turn.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@rrmordikay I'm Salvadoran, I know all about it. Bukele didn't run on a crime policy platform, but few people ask why his administration pivoted focus when it did.

[@meferswift]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj oh boy, man. it absolutely would fly in at least more place than one or two.

[@McKae00]

Literally the vast majority of countries could have something like this. First world democracies cant because we are PUSSIESSSSS@@Qwerty-jy9mj

[@kucanusa3750]

They were democratic, followed NGO advice, education funding, job programs, tried negotiating with gangs, and bribing them. Why should they value the concepts of human rights and democracy, when those institutions failed them?

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

This is the only good point I can concede to the pro bukele position, then again it would also apply for anyone besides bukele. People don't understand that while violence has decreased, this doesn't mean the rule of law has increased. Anyone would make the trade off in that situation because it's a matter of urgency over importance... But it doesn't make rule of law any less important.

[@MrGksarathy]

Bukele literally made a deal with the biggest gang leaders with regards to street violence.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@MrGksarathy He negotiated the "correct" amount of daily murders in the country until the truce broke down 🤢🤢🤢

[@MrGksarathy]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj Didn't he also cover up murders by some of the gangs in the official murder statistics? That, and he's just black bagging random people and detaining them without cause. Like, I'm pretty sure 1/3 of the prison population hasn't been charged with anything.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@MrGksarathy Yes, after the truce broke down but before the crackdown began, there was a security plan called "phase 3" (because the phase 3 of the MCU was in theaters at the time) when the reports number of murders was low but the number of disappearances was high, roughly equivalent to the total amount of violent deaths as before the plan went into effect. Eventually this did turn around when the mass arrests began and the number of murders really did go down since among the people rounded up, the gang's trigger men must have been in there

[@---...---...---...---...]

When you are unwilling to fight the problems when they first arise, you will end up having to use very harsh means later. The lesson is not to ignore or downplay problem, even if they are not catastrophically bad at the moment.

[@Pomen]

This man is amazing. The changes he has done that quickly. Gives me hope

[@vx8431]

A part of the speech he had when foreign NGOs and goverments were complaining was very telling of how he and many Salvadorians feel. Where he questioned the UN where were they when Salvadorian children were recruited into the civil war, where were they when deathsquads roamed their land and where were they when the gangs took over. Even as a foreigner I think he has a point in his speech who are we to judge them for having to be heavy handed when we have just been watching them suffer and tell them what is best for them while doing nothing for them. Can we really be acting like some kind of parent to them and tell them what is best for them? Can we as outsiders really judge them for electing a Caesarian leader.

[@Jarekx2007]

Meh. It's always "where were they" when we don't go in and "stop meddling in affairs that aren't yours" whenever we do go in.

[@vx8431]

@@Jarekx2007 If you are talking about the US that would have been a bad idea you are still the big bad in central and south america. However it is very rare for UN peacekeepers to be shat on. Only times I can think of is Congo back in the days and the shitshow thag was Haiti.

[@Maverick0451]

Excellent coverage on an important and underreported series of events!!

[@readingwithhelena5482]

Could you please talk about Chile’s politic?? It’s been crazyyyy here this last few years and it would be really cool to see your input on this topic 😱

[@kevincronk7981]

Bukele self describes himself as the world's coolest dictator. He is actively claiming to be the benevolent type of dictator. Maybe he will be, but it is doubtful, and I doubt even more so that multiple other leaders will also be as good. Benevolent dictators are a once in a generation thing, if even, but when they truly are benevolent and effectice they become legends, i.e. attaturk in turkey.

[@LihoShammy]

The human rights organizations didn't seem to give a damn about human rights in Salvador when the gangs were still running the show.

[@leserb9228]

And here i thought we had it bad here in Serbia. Im glad El Salvador got to have what they have now. Bukale sounds like a leader I'd vote for if he ran here in Serbia....

[@TheArse14]

I mean I wouldn't say its bad here, life is definitely better than most countries, but the corruption sure is infuriating.. But we serbs always preferred an idea of a great nation rather than actually creating one.

[@leserb9228]

@@TheArse14 indeed, it's exactly as you said unfortunately...

[@FictionHubZA]

I'd want him to lead South Africa.

[@Toanleigh]

​@@leserb9228I am saddened that you live somewhere that these steps need to be taken. But I realize this is a necessity. I hope you find safety and serenity. And I wish you able to surround yourself with others that share your values. Even if it starts small(like neighbors) I hope it can grow larger still.

[@leserb9228]

@@Toanleigh thank you

[@linuxares]

I'm very curious if you could interview some Salvadorians how they feel about it now? Maybe get some of them to film in their local towns and see how they feel and how we can see how El Salvador is now?

[@rhov5708]

As someone living in a country with a deeply corrupted government, where the majority of the population keeps voting for said government due to a slew of reasons (not the least being that the education system is failing the lower class), I have found myself considering whether a dictatorship might well be the better option. I'm not sure, but I think there is merit in actually being able to blame someone, in the sense that when the party is corrupt, it is very difficult to blame specific people, but if the dictator is bad, everyone at least knows who the bad guy is... As an aside, please keep making these videos. It's great to actually get to know about stuff happening in the world in the lesser publicized countries, and the historical aspect gives a good basis to understand their situations as well.

[@AdventClover]

Absolute power corrupts, but one can be humble when they humiliate by stepping down after their job is done. Control when is needed and humble when it is done.

[@Mtnshell56]

Excellent work. Thanks and keep it up please!

[@blankistblankophobe9078]

Wow. It's almost as if enforcing the law and punishing violent crime actually reduces violent crime. Who knew?

[@azteccrew5]

Good stuff . Look forward to the follow up

[@brotherjay4614]

The thing about President Noboa and the issue I have as an Ecuadorian is his family background in being rich in the fruit industry. Also some things that I wish he could talk about president Correa as he was significant to Ecuador’s modern history. The corruption always seem to be there but it just wasn’t the center of drug trafficking like now.

[@Jckbrker]

I always find it interesting that other irganisations do not seem to care when innocent people live in fear of gangs but when leaders take extreme measures to save their people they suddenly get up in arms. Hypocrisy at its finest.

[@clerns]

* gets popcorn ready *

[@I_want_White_Cheddar_Popcorn]

Why am I ready?

[@kentaylor3297]

Wow a dictator that actually makes a good difference I won’t lie I have to respect it if it works it works

[@eliscerebralrecyclingbin7812]

15k views, 1.5k likes 1/10 viewers liked this video at this date Thank you for teaching us, Stak!

[@eliscerebralrecyclingbin7812]

Been one day, 27k views and 2.3k likes Interesting

[@TheJustpassingthroug]

Historically speaking, I think it’s fair to say that benevolent dictatorships can work. The issue is that they are very dependent on individual integrity and do not last generationally. The benevolent dictator may remain incorruptible but those who follow will not.

[@austinclements8010]

its always a dichotomy in my mind, it begins with authoritarianism to curb chaos and violence, then over time the restrictions lessen because the people demand it less restrictive government makes way for more curroption, and gangs like this take advantage by creating more chaos and violence the trick is finding a happy medium, but the closer to get to that medium, the more people want to tip the scale one way or the other

[@veronicamaine3813]

Its actually more restrictive government that leads to corruption, to less. That's why authoritarian regimes like the CCP, Nork Korea or Soviet Russia (and probably current Russia) were and are extremely corrupt. If you can already control the people, you don't actually need to care about their opinion, but you do need to keep your supporters on side. So rather than improving the lot of most people, you improve the lot of a select few. I cannot think of one dictatorship that didn't eventually fall to mass corruption. Democracies are hardly perfect, but they tend to force leaders to think beyond their clique of favourites and think of the constituents. Its not free from corruption, but just less prone to excesses of it because they tie power to the populace. Of course, the populace can be manipulated, but the results are usually still better overall than a dictatorship. Reade the Dictators Handbook - its great at explaining how this all works.

[@austinclements8010]

@@veronicamaine3813 the PAP is a benevolent dictatorship though, and i wasnt mentioning specific systems of government, i mean the underlying political philisophy behind the actions of government you can have a benelovent dictatorship and an authoritarian democracy after all, what i was referring to was the general thought behind the policy

[@MeatyTF2Mercs]

While Nayib Bukele's actions has no doubt brought benefits to El Savador, a quote is reminded to me. "The path to hell is paved with good intentions".

[@xer0kills294]

So cool but so scary. That level of power once gained is seldom given back

[@42moosejaw89]

Thank you for making this

[@mariapalacios533]

Hello, I really liked your video. It was well planned. I would like to make some corrections to your theory that Ecuador has a dictator as a president or is undergoing a dictatorship. I would assume that you didn't have access to more accurate information. First of all, Daniel Noboa was not the first president that had enacted an "Estado de excepción". During the past 7 years Ecuador has undergone at least 42. So this is not new. The inoperancy of the state has led to all that we have seen today, but the hostage situation was not the only situation that happened that day. The same day, at the same time, many cities were systematically attacked by these terrorists with at least 5 hospitals being targeted, many explosions, bombs, mass shootings, etc. All of these led to declare an internal armed conflict which is a synonym for war against these terrorist groups. In El Salvador, there was violence, yes, but in Ecuador, the level of conflict surpassed all expectations as you very well explained. These are not gangs, they are not just simple armed delinquents. Also, you failed to name another illness that had been proliferating in my country for at least 17 years. It is called the "Socialismo del siglo 21", "La derecha Antigua". They are in essence the politicians that do not serve anyone but themselves. They made the narcos their allies and there you have the results. Daniel Noboa has not amassed any other kind of power besides the executive branch. He is a Democrat. Human Rights are not been violated anywhere, not even in prisons. Despite many sources having claimed otherwise. What he has is the political will to finally do something, and he does it with an opposition of 41% in the National Assembly. He is trying to make reforms to the constitution by negotiating with his opposition, not by canceling them politically. I urged you to read more before you conclude that for some reason we are in a Dictatorship.

[@JLo83]

What he's saying is that it's possible Noboa could make moves in the same manner as Bukele. We haven't seen yet. He's just posing questions. Time will tell about Noboa and how effective he'll be. The point of the video was that one country is doing something VERY effective to solve their gang violence problem and other countries are beginning to do similar things like building bigger prisons and taking a harder stance against the gangs in their borders. He's comparing a country that succeeded to one that's trying to figure out how to effectively attack what is possibly an even bigger problem. Most North Americans have never even heard of these two leaders or how bad the gang violence problem is and this video brings attention to the problem. I don't even see any other channels aside from news organizations mentioning this topic on KZbin much.

[@mariapalacios533]

I understand that, but that is how it starts. People start to question things that haven't happened yet. I don't think that you can even compare the two problems just because Ecuador is a different country. Maybe I am fed up with these human rights pseudo-organizations that are "vigilant" only when it is convenient for them. And I am not blaming this guy for it. Just don't like people to keep thinking that these are just gangs like the ones in poor neighborhoods around the US or even the ones from El Salvador. The amount of funding, logistics, and contacts around the world that they have is at another level. Going back to the strategies that Ecuador has implemented that can be similar to Bukele's. You probably have no way of knowing this, but they haven't imprisoned anyone just for being part of the terrorist groups. In Ecuador, the police have to prove that they have done something or he walks the next morning. That is why some of them have walked free after being captured, which does not happen in El Salvador. That is a fact. If you are wondering why they are building 2 more prisons besides the 36 that Ecuador already has? Well, that question is easy. We have in some prisons a 1000% of overpopulation. So we need them. Yeah, Daniel Noboa chose the same company to do the buildings and everything, but that's just to make the people happy. In 2025, there will be new elections. At the core, his politics are not as extreme as Bukele's just because Ecuador's constitution does not allow any of it. We have a law that says that at any moment there can't be a regression of fundamental human rights. Also to note, we are very aligned with the US, and to maintain that, we probably will not put in danger our democracy. Also, Ecuador is a laic country, which is not the case in El Salvador. To conclude, things are much more complex than you might think and I applaud him for trying to understand Ecuador's problems. I just don't agree that you should propose theories with suspicious intentions so early in the conflict.

[@BMWE90HQ]

These conditions are appalling and I hope their leaders will work to fix these problems. It is not the United States responsibility to take care of the people from every sh*thole country.

[@noahjohnson935]

Lets hope this new El Salvadorian president doesnt go the way of President Porfirio Díaz and overstay his welcome and make his nation regret ever electing him. A dictator can be good for the short term, but when they start wanting to hold onto power and only that it will inevitably undo everything 'good'

[@historyofeverythingpodcast]

Time will tell. That truly is the biggest question

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

Why wouldn't it? There are ZERO guardrails in place

[@noahjohnson935]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj maybe when his time is up he'll step down. It's going to be a "wait and see"

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

​@@noahjohnson935His time is up next elections, according to the constitution. He's going to run either way.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

@@noahjohnson935 The Salvadoran constitution says that any attempt of the president to reelect himself triggers revolution. His re-election day is up by the end of this week.

[@elmerserrano3705]

I'm from El Salvador and I hope he stays in power till he's an old man, and his children and grandchildren stay in power. El Salvador cannot go back to what it was.

[@thewingedhussar4188]

It probably won't have to remain a dictatorship for that long. Plus this sounds like something that is a generational one or two, to resolve. Otherwise you will get a dictatorship that will end up like a non communist north Korea.

[@nicolaszan1845]

The problem with dictatorships is not that they _can't_ work, it's that fundamentally they require a benevolent and intelligent individual as a leader to work. Someone who both wants to do the right thing, and cn handle the power a dictator has. Politics, specially in low trust societies, tend to attract people who are intelligent but not benevolent, which is where you get most dictatorships from: all the power of decisive unilateral action condensed in the hands of an asshole that wants self enrichment and nepotism, or at best, a well intentioned incompetent. Bukele here seems to be part of a third elusive group, where they both looking to improve the lives of the people around them, and are knowledgeable and skilled enough to work towards that goal. Still, only time will tell if he remains on course to make El Salvador secure and safe as he has promised, or if the absolute power of his position will corrupt him as well. Here's hoping it's the former.

[@JanusXAlvarenga]

The issue I have with Bukele is precedent. I am speaking as a Salvadoran. I love the changes he has made. The means are questionable, yes, and the jurt ia out for me on whether they are worth it based on the limited information we receive from the prisons and the police and military. But broadly, yes, it is safer. However, the constant tampering or outright flagrant violations of the country's constitution, and the overt threats of violence to the legislative branch, sends huge red flags for what is to come later. Once one leader sees they can push aside checks and balances....what's to stop another from doing the same? Bukele character and force of will is not easily replicated, nor (I hope) is what seems to be an actually considerate approach to improving society. But power, the thirst for power, that is ubiquitous. That can be found easily in any politician. What is stopping a monster down the road from taking over now that the road has been paved and the arbiters of law tied down?

[@NoobNoobNews]

There is a very surface level quote from a cartoon i watched. An evil dictator leads to an evil dictatorship. A benevolent dictator leads to a benevolent dictatorship. When we speak about governmental systems, we need to remember that such things are dependent on the nature of those in power. El salvador, for all of its flaws, is doing all of this for the sake of its own people. Can this turn on its head in an instant? Yes. Is it the only way to go about it? No. Still, the nation has chosen its path and as long as they do not lose sight of what truly matter, i think it will more likely turn out for the better.

[@mr.shadow8812]

Best system of government is an authoritarian one lead by good people. The problem is that is so rare to have it be that why that is hard it happens properly

[@Arclight1988]

The police need to stop the gang members. At what ever means it takes. Stop with jails, taxpayers can’t feed that many people.

[@Fernando-ek8jp]

Stak, dude, my man, my brother in christ: what do you mean by it being "possible" that the wrong people got arrested? A year ago 3000 people were released after being arrested as part of the anti gang, well, arrests. (I'm not saying that it doesn't work, just that it's a known certainty that mistakes have been made)

[@CFD2126]

Dude I love your videos

[@FlyDBS]

Yo the disclaimer @ 2:53 read like a fucken analog horror jumpscare wtf

[@joshuawilliams8841]

Your intro at the beginning really reminded me about the movie Innocent Voices. Phenomenal story which is worth a watch. It's avaliable for free on youtube and helps people understand the personal aspects of this history.

[@ardsam6922]

Everybody wants to rule the world. This man got into power of his country, and finally did what he's wanted to since he was a child.

[@DocsDota]

Why does this channel have such low views? These are so well done!

[@nyrukdaerog3973]

Give someone power, and it will not corrupt him. It will only reveal the corruption that was already there. If this guy is principled and forthright, i think he's trustworthy. It's those around and after him who may not be so well intentioned.

[@Toanleigh]

Yeah, this is why I never liked the saying "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely", like nah, I think the person was just trash(which, honestly, most people kinda are) there were just checks on it before.

[@the.one.who.doesnt.knock.]

i think the fact he had a full beard and stache rather than stache alone also makes him a better dictator

[@chrisprice8112]

I think there are two main arguments against what Bukele has done in El Salvador: This first is more immediately salient because it corncerns effects already seen in the present- that the authoritarian measures enacted by the Bukele government lead to too many miscarriages of justice and/or ruining of promising young lives to be acceptable. This is naturally attractive to those of us from liberal prosperous countries who naturally have an attachment to human rights, but I don't think it actually stacks up very well. While there has certainly been an unpleasant (and often sidelined) human cost to the reform program, the near-unanimity with which the iron fist has been welcomed by the populace lays bare the society-ruining scope of the gang violence problem that previously existed, and it seems nearly incontrovertible that even with the attendant costs El Salvador's people are much better off with the gangs brought to heel. The second is arguably subtler and less discussed because it concerns the future, but it's the one that convinces me- in order to enact his program of radical reform, Bukele has stripped the state of most of the checks and balances that prevent outright indefinite dictatorship with no public accountability (some remain on paper but in practice Bukele has enough power centralised in his person that he can ride roughshod over them if he wants to). His premiership up to now has certainly delivered improvement, but history shows us it's very rare for people who acquire de-facto dictatorial power to ever reliquish it voluntarily, so the real likely cost of the reforms is the end of meaningful democracy in El Salvador. We'll have to wait for 20, 30 or even 40 years down the line to see how bad things get on that score and whether the people still think it was worth it to defeat the gangs.

[@Leprechaunproduction]

Excellent analysis, and I agree with you. Here's hoping Bukele may be the rare exception and actually steps down from power peacefully... though I doubt he will. But whatever happens, I hope things get better for the innocents in El Salvador; they're the victims in this, and we can't forget that.

[@MrGksarathy]

I mean, I totally agree with you on the second part, and it's why the first part isn't an acceptable consequence of this crackdown on crime. It's very dubious results for a potential end to democracy.

[@namename9998]

Why would you want a leader to step down just because a few years have passed. Do you get a new spouse every few years. If someones doing a good job you should keep them in that job for as long as they are doing a good job and they want to stay in that job. Imagine if doctors behaved the same way. "Sorry but my shift is over. It doesnt matter that the operation isnt finished. Good luck".

[@Leprechaunproduction]

@@namename9998 A constant rotation of leaders helps protect against any one of them trying to entrench themselves and amass power to become a dictator. Bukele may have brought the crime rate down dramatically in El Salvadore, but the odds are high that he'll eventually abuse that power to make life a living hell for everyone, not just gangsters, and by then it will be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to get him out. This whole situation is a case of pursuing short term goals over long-term ones, and no one knows how it's going to turn out.

[@namename9998]

@@Leprechaunproduction Using your logic that a constant rotation of leaders prevents corruption (even though theres no proof of that otherwise Louis XIV wouldnt have reigned for 72 yrs, Franz Joseph I wouldnt have ruled for 68 yrs, etc) then we shouldnt have any politicians. Every decision should be voted on by the public even though votes can be bought. "by then it will be extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to get him out." A country that was ruled by gangs would have a hard time getting a corrupt politician out of office. You can believe that if you want but it doesnt make it true.

[@giovporto6475]

He’s not a Dictator that’s just something the opposition says to dirty his name,while all they do is defend the gangs all day long.

[@DakotaBroskie]

Shout out Bananas

[@riton349]

Despite the problematic means, I would condone this. The question will be though if this will be sustainable, if this is the beginning of a brutal dictatorship o. a inevitable powder cake if the gov looses control o. lessens it's grip.

[@Leprechaunproduction]

I think the biggest question about all this isn't if the rest of Latin America follows El Salvador's example, but if the whole world does. If the global trend of wealth inequality continues to spiral out of control - aggravated by climate change - we'll see ordinary people finding it impossible to afford housing, food, or basic necessities to survive, which will lead to an increase in crime and civil unrest, and when it gets so bad, they'll turn to strongmen who promise safety and security, and then that may eventually lead to a planet of police states where democracy is but a distant memory. I hope to God I'm wrong about that.

[@dolomaticus1180]

Swing and a miss on what is going on in Salvador.

[@MrGksarathy]

You said it better than I ever could, friend.

[@prestonjones1653]

I hope to God you're right.

[@Qwerty-jy9mj]

It will take 200 years for things to reach anything remotely close to what you're describing

[@coupledyetivonvanderburg5385]

@@Qwerty-jy9mj Funny, it only took Germany about 20 years

[@MaskofPoesy]

Power doesn't corrupt. It reveals.

[@JuanLopez-no1su]

Nayib Bukele is no dictator, in the U.S.A. each new government is free to install their own attorney general.

[@Critt_Ari]

As a Turkish person I can say that this young men Bukele reminds me of the founder of my country.

[@enacausmembrane]

? Kemal? lol. Sure bud. Your Kemal is definitely similar to Bukele.

[@Critt_Ari]

@@enacausmembrane he also was authoritarian and used his autocracy for the better of the country. "A Good Dictator" isnt that impossible

[@comradecapybara]

As usual, all problems can be traced back to Reagan

[@ratedr7845]

I can see what you mean, but they kinda had crap on them before

[@SaedestOne]

Biggest mistake is saying the country is tropical but not hot. Mid 50’s to low 80’s? Only the coldest days in winter would you get anywhere near that my guy

[@schmiddy8433]

I'm generally very libertarian, but that is in the context of a developed and civilized society, so I can't say I'm entirely against this. I honestly do not care about the human rights of someone who made a living off of violating people's human rights, this goes for most politicians too. These gangs are a cancer and unfortunately radiation and chemo kill some healthy cells too, but it's absolutely essential for the survival of the body as a whole. The only trouble is how to recover once the treatment is done, how do you dismantle an authoritarian government like this? We'll just have to see.

[@ntolman]

That's how an lean politically and what I think of the situation.

[@BighomieRich]

Then You’re not actually libertarian, which is fine because libertarianism is an impossible ideology to live up to.

[@schmiddy8433]

@@BighomieRich I don't ascribe to rigid ideologies. There is not a single set of beliefs that doesn't have internal inconsistencies or contradictions or weaknesses, which is why I *generally* consider myself libertarian.

[@BighomieRich]

@@schmiddy8433 what I hear is “no ideology is perfect so I still call myself X” weather you like it or not, you’re just conservative but that label doesn’t feel right to you…reason you are is because you claim libertarian but at some point are ok with a dictatorship with completely undermines libertarianism. Which is what tons of people in the KZbin comments section are like…probably don’t vote often but if you do you’re more likely to go for conservatives over liberals unless the ‘liberal’ is a ‘strongman’ type. That’s just a fact

[@schmiddy8433]

@@BighomieRich libertarian is a philosophy, big L Libertarian is a party/rigid ideology. libertarianism and authoritarianism are on an axis of political advocacy, you are reading into this shit too much. When I said I'm typically "very libertarian" that means I typically lean much more so on the libertarian side of that axis. I'm suggesting in this instance I understand the authoritarian approach because having the country completely run by a cartel is just another form of authoritarianism. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions in awful situations.

[@rorymonkey]

Thank you for the video.

[@DG20202]

I hope the absolute power that Bukale has will not spiral into a full dictatorship. Because even if he keeps working for the good of the people for the rest of his life. There will come a day when he will have to step down and without a robust system to keep things going it will only take 1 wrong person taking control for the whole country to fall into chaos.

[@MrGksarathy]

Buddy, it's already happening. Bukele is a Machiavellian demagogue who's consolidating all power to himself and seems to have no intention of stepping down.

[@LEGOMANIAC419]

It can be an incredibly hard pill to swallow for democratic countries like here in the US--but when heads of state have little in the ways of opposition to legislature, they often tend to be the ones who can enact dramatic change for their nation; for better or worse.