Talk:Dictator

Where are Putin and Jinping?
How are they not mentioned here? They have both been described as dictators in reliable sources on numerous occasions. 209.93.85.21 (talk) 01:32, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

Proposal for dictator multiple image in lead section
In replacement of the dictator collage in the lead section, I am proposing an alternative in the form of a multiple image template, whereby a wide range of 20th-century dictators fall into the broad category, with certain distinctions. It's based on the template structure used in the articles for heads of state and heads of government, three by three, each row covering a distinction. I have two versions of this alternative:

Version 1: Three each for fascist dictators (Mussolini, Hitler, Franco), Marxist–Leninist dictators (Stalin, Mao, Ceaușescu), and military dictators (Pinochet, Amin, Suharto). On one hand, these categories have less room for interpretation, leaving less confusion, but as categories go, they may not be approved of.

Version 2: Three each for one-party dictators (Mussolini, Stalin, Mao), personalist dictators (Hitler, Franco, Kim), and military dictators (Pinochet, Amin, Suharto). Categorising these types of dictatorships this way is in line with the dictatorship article seen here, yet it also leaves more room for interpretation, e.g., Franco was both a fascist and personalist dictator. There also aren't examples given in that section in the dictatorship article, so it's hard to judge.

Both of these are similar, however, given the unique downsides to both methods of categorisation, I figured instead of deciding for myself, this topic should come here to discuss the better version, one that functions in the same way as the collage already does, but with more examples and being more comprehensive. Open to any suggestions for feedback, and if you want a more detailed description of each version, you'll find them in my sandbox. @Grettoonist 16:41, 4 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Going from 6 to 9 images would make each image even smaller and more indistinct unless the collage projected yet further down the page attaning even greater prominence, while requiring an even longer caption, defeating MOS:INFOBOXPURPOSE, "to summarize (and not supplant) key facts that appear in the article.... The less information it contains, the more effectively it serves that purpose, allowing readers to identify key facts at a glance." There's no need to organise them according to this or that scheme of categorisation, or to lengthen the caption by describing a scheme, and experience teaches us that employing such schemes and making them explicit is a magnet for editorial dispute - see this, this and this for the discussions that finally resolved a similar issue and gave us MOS:NOETHNICGALLERIES. Far from being an example to follow, our article Head of state exemplifies all these problems, and even if 9 was an optimal number there, proportionality would suggest we should have even less than 6 here for this small subset of that category. NebY (talk) 12:10, 5 February 2024 (UTC)

Where is Fidel Castro?
Not including Fidel Castro in the list of most representative dictators is simply shameful and compromises the credibility of wikipedia as a trustworthy source. 2604:3D09:3474:5AC0:B1A6:1093:784D:51BE (talk) 06:13, 9 April 2024 (UTC)
 * I'm guessing Fidel Castro is somewhere in Cuba. Also, Wikipedia articles are really meant to be example farms like TV Tropes.  The encyclopedia article is supposed to explain what a dictator is, not run down all of history's most famous dictators.  I know that some Wikipedia articles do this, but they're poorly written.  If there's a reason to mention Castro, you could always propose an edit here on the talk page using Edit semi-protected. NinjaRobotPirate (talk) 02:36, 10 April 2024 (UTC)
 * "Wikipedia articles are really meant to be example farms like TV Tropes." What gave you the idea that Wikipedia should be emulating TV Tropes? No, they are not meant to be lists of examples unless they are lists. Dimadick (talk) 08:51, 10 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Well, that's supposed to be "not", obviously. I guess it was late at night. NinjaRobotPirate (talk) 13:22, 10 April 2024 (UTC)