As a form of government, dictatorship has a number of defects, as follows:
Dictatorship regards the state as the end and the individual as the means. Dictatorship is totalitarian: it controls everything and regulates every activity of the individual and the society. It is authoritarian, for it provides unlimited and absolute power to the State over the citizens and society. Really, dictatorship makes no distinction between the State and the society. The individual has no life and no rights of his own apart from what the State gives him. It has been rightly remarked that in a totalitarian State there are no individual rights but only State rights. The individual is completely subordinate to the policy and purpose of the State: his right is his duty to obey the State. He lives for the glory and power of the State. In democracy the individual has his rights and freedoms; the State exists as a means to his happiness and self-development. In dictatorship, the individual is a means to the attainment of the ends of the State.
Dictatorship is based on force and violence and not on discussion and argument
In democracy decisions are reached by discussion, argument and persuasion, whereas in dictatorship by force and violence. Dictatorship demands obedience; democracy relies on persuasion and compromise. Democracy presumes differences of opinion among the people, but dictatorship forces conformity and uniformity of opinion among them. Disagreement with the government is regarded as a sin in dictatorship and suppressed without mercy. Democracy accepts opposition to the ruling party and encourages criticism of the government, but dictatorship crushes opposition and forbids criticism of the government because they are believed to destroy the unity of the State and hinder its progress.
Dictatorship leads to apathy in public life
As no opposition and criticism of the government is permitted or tolerated under the dictatorship, the people become indifferent and apathetic to the affairs of the State. In dictatorship the people are asked not to think but to obey the Leader and follow him blindly to wherever he leads them. “Such a policy spells disaster for the future, for to eliminate all differences is to eliminate all that keeps the community mentally and spiritually alive.” By regimenting, life and thought the dictator crushes all initiative, intelligence und imagination of his subjects and creates a sheep-like conformity and a deadening uniformity of opinion and prejudice. He destroys the possibility of developing human personality, learning, literature and art. “At best a dictatorship is run as an elaborately organised house of correction, in which the inmate is assigned his task and vigilantly inspected as to the manner in which he discharges it.”
Fascist dictatorship spreads war and aggression
While communist and nationalist dictatorships pose to be peaceful, friendly and co-operative in their relations with foreign countries and nations, fascist dictatorship is openly revenge-seeking, aggressive, imperialistic and hostile towards other nations and countries. It is born with a sword in its hand and prepares feverishly for war and conquest, for its eyes are fixed on what the Nazis called the “lebensraum”, that is, “living space”, consisting of conquered lands and enslaved nations. The fascist dictator hates peace and friendship among nations of the world and ridicules and scorns the ideals of human brotherhood and love. Fascism and Nazism believe in race- superiority and racialism.
Finally, dictatorship is not a permanent institution
Dictatorship lasts so long as the dictator lives or keeps himself in power. Fascist dictatorship not only lives by the sword but perishes by the sword. It is destroyed by the fires of the war it has itself kindled. The history of the nationalist and communist dictatorships is, however, not much different.