The Deadly Cost of Living Under a Dictatorship

Estimates are that Russia has hit 1 million casualties in its Ukrainian war (about 100,000 to 150,000 of those are deaths). This is one of the few "advantages" to a dictatorship: in a democracy, ruthlessly throwing this many of your men into the meat grinder of war would lead to a big backlash in public approval and pressure to negotiate peace or even your ouster from office. Given Putin can't be safely challenged within Russia, he can continue to wage a war with devastating consequences for his people with no consequence for him.

Under a dictatorship, it's not just your right to protest and speak out that are compromised. So is your right to a full and healthy life.