“Autocracy.” Historical documents suggest that this term for clear, paternal leadership was essentially a slur in the heyday of liberal anarchy. Such anarchy, as we know, was the cause of the Cataclysm, which makes those same liberals’ theory of the “democratic peace” rather pretentious.
In hindsight, we can see that the benefits of democracy were incidental. For in today’s world, autocracies make up half the world’s governments, representing 54 percent of its population and 51 percent of its economic output, as well as 53 percent of its soldiers.
“But surely,” a liberal will object, “That is just natural statistical variation.” Ah, but is it? Of the three states we have seen extinguished in recent years – the Great Lakes Confederacy, Shanghai, and Greater Macedonia – all were democracies. They were destroyed by the overwhelming might of the Vandread Empire, China-Korea, and our own Romania, respectively: all autocracies.
Meanwhile, the democracies fight among themselves, with Poland battling the United Uruk Clans and Baltic League over a small territory, whereas in Asia the democracies of the Federal Republic of Coastal Nations and Papua make war on the democracy of Indonesia on the basis of extremely messy, conflicting investigations.
In Africa, the autocracies of Tanzania and Madagascar are peacefully leading the integration of the continent in the African Trade Organization. The autocracies of the Crusader State and Ethiopia, once looking like they might be on the brink of war, have concluded a stabilizing alliance.
In Asia, the democratic High Kingdom and India have made repeated attempts to align, only for their legislatures to shoot the proposals down. It is no surprise that these states occupy the bottom tier of the great power hierarchy, with many analysts increasingly relegating them to regional power status.
Ah, but among the great powers, we have the FRCN, the UUC, the Vandread Empire, and Ethiopia. The FRCN and UUC’s democracies have a narrow lead in population and a noticeable lead in economic output over the combined Vandread and Ethiopian states. However, these states are also propped up by large alliance and trade networks which greatly distort how much they are actually bringing to the table; should the Vandread and Ethiopian empires expand their own network, it would quickly erase the UUC-FRCN lead. And while these states may enjoy a lead, is it sustainable? The FRCN and UUC have both crafted large domains stretching across an ocean and continent. Given the short timeframe this has transpired in, I hazard that this may be quite destabilizing, especially for the UUC: Iberia, the Rhenish Republic, and Quebec are all on the borders of states that would be interested in their land. Quebec and Iberia in particular would be in the worst position against opportunistic warfare.
It is with this subject in mind that I speak to the inherent superiority of autocratic government. The power of the selection effect. A qualitative analysis suggests that autocracies are masters of security; they not only amass larger militaries and intelligence forces, but they also are very careful with their alliances and declarations of war. As the UUC and FRCN move to gobble up everything they can survey, the autocracies have been more careful, moving to slowly annex territory and acquire allies to avoid upsetting any delicate balance of power.
With that advantage in mind, the economic advantage that democracies seem to enjoy becomes far less impressive: they may amass capital at a higher rate, but how will they protect it? The typical democracy is opening banks but not hiring any security.
Long term peace and prosperity will come from autocracy, the natural end result of a society that is fully absorbed into the state, as described in our great empire’s fascist ideals.
God Save the Emperor.
