Is Authoritarian Leadership the Price of Economic Failure?

During long periods of deep crisis, when ourit was an election year, because it could have
Leaders cannot solve our problems the way webeen lead by a deeply unpopular Leader for
want. Often we choose to follow or electanother two years or more. Some Countries are
Authoritarian Leaders, usually who rise within thenot so lucky, the UK still has a Leader that is
ranks of traditional political parties. In deep casessynonymous with siding with the now discredited
of financial or political chaos, some of theseBanking, and Corporate sectors for over Ten
Leaders could rise through forming their ownyears. And still has another year to "fix" the crisis,
political parties and rising through the electoralwhen many people are looking at their traditional
process, as traditional political parties loseLeaders and slowly pointing their fingers away
creditability.from the Bankers to the Politicians who supported
If the Financial Crisis becomes unsolvable in thethem.
short- term, one real danger is that the traditionalAuthoritarian Leadership wins when all else has
political parties and institutions will becomefailed, often it is the last resort of Leadership
discredited. This has already happened with ourwhen more democratic leadership cannot fix the
Banking and Financial Institutions, were Businessproblems people face. The USA at least for four
Leaders during the "Bubble" economy years wereyears is safe, unless the Obama Presidency
seen as respectable Leaders, now they are seencannot solve the economic problems of the
by many as greedy crooks. One danger is thatcountry, and other Leaders could rise as the cost
these discredited business Leaders could be linkedof failure mounts.. The biggest danger is in Europe,
to traditional political Leaders, and the blamewhere high unemployment and the loss of trust in
shifted to these pre- crisis Leaders. One reasonthe pre-crisis establishment, could push Europeans
many of our Leaders are distancing themselvesto vote for more extreme Leaders; New Leaders
away from discredited Corporate Leaders, eventhat promise quick fixes through trade
blaming them for the crisis. This is working in theprotectionism, new immigration policies and
short-term as we have a scapegoat, Bankers,blaming emerging industrial countries for unfair
and Financial Leaders but before the crash, ourtrading practices.
Governments did work closely with these verySomething traditional "Free market" Politicians that
same scapegoats, and even worked with themran our Countries cannot change, as it goes
on economic policies.against the principals of capitalism they represent.
This is true in Germany, were Political LeadersIf this economic crisis is not fixed within the next
have always worked closely with Financial andfour years, then we may see the rise in
Banking Leaders, even voting in laws that wereAuthoritarian Leadership. Something that did
beneficial to the growth of the banking, andhappen during the Great Depression in the 1930's,
Corporate World. Many analysis say that theand as our living standards drop, often do our
attitude of everyday Americans would bedemocratic values. And we seek quick fixes to
different if there was not an Election in 2008, andoften unsolvable situations through extreme
a candidate that was different and promisedLeadership.
"change." In many ways, the USA was fortunate