In Search of Strong Men?

No, this post is not about the pursuit of hot men or body builders. Rather it is my follow on to a class discussion today.

My classmates proposed that democracy is not always the right system for countries emerging from the throes of the "-isms" (communism, totalitarianism, imperialism). Rather for these countries to manage their development and change, it is beneficial to have a "strong man" in place who does not have to worry about polls and re-election. They can force their country to make the necessary, and often unpopular, sacrifices for success. This argument while it has merits is, in my opinion, utter bullshit. Why?

• The world is littered with dictators who assumed power in a vacuum and have proceeded to oppress and pillage their people. The most egregious examples being Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Congo's Laurent Kabila. These men have not helped modernize or develop their countries, rather they have looted their countries' bank accounts. One could potentially make the argument that the people of Congo and Zimbabwe would be better off under the Belgians and English, despite their numerous and significant shortcomings, than either of these "strong men".
• Absolute power corrupts absolutely... Ironically, both Mugabe and Kabila fought to end colonialism and over time, adopting the worst (without any of the best) of their colonizers' characteristics, have developed their own methods of supression
• Once one has consolidated power, there is in no case that I can think of any turning back. Name of dictator who has willingly given way to democracy. The "strong man" concept lends itself to a autocrat who can only be overthrown by coup or military junta, both of which are usually bloody. If you can think of a case where there was a bloodless transition from a "strong man" to democracy. I would love to hear it!

On a side note, I believe democracies are stable institutions. To my recollection, no two democracies have ever waged war against each other. Although progress in a democracy may be slower initially as multiple stakeholders must be satisfied, it is the only model for long-run success. It is the only model that can alleviate corruption and create the transparency required for citizens to invest in their and their country's future.