Lebanese Musician Ghassan Rahbani: I Oppose Democracy, Prefer A Benevolent Dictator Like Saddam Hussein, Muhammad Bin Salman; If You Behave Like A Human Being, You Need Not Fear An Autocratic Regime

Lebanese musician Ghassan Rahbani said in a June 18, 2023 show on OTV (Lebanon) that he opposes democracy and that he would rather live in a benevolent dictatorship. He said that the Lebanese people and Arabs in general want a "criminal president" like Saddam Hussein or Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, elaborating that if people behave the "human beings", they do not need to fear strict autocratic regimes, which actually serve their interests. Rahbani also said that some dictatorships, like Nicolae Ceaușescu's Romania, are bad.

Ghassan Rahbani: "I oppose democracy. I don't like democracy. I am a person who likes the regime of benevolent dictatorship. Let me ask you a question: All those good intellectual Lebanese with jobs – Where do they like to live more than anywhere else? In Dubai. Is Dubai a democracy? There. You have your answer.

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"The Lebanese want a criminal president."

Interviewer: "Wow..."

Rahbani: "All Arabs want a criminal president. In the Third World, people want a criminal president. A person can be a criminal and, at the same time, be... Saddam Hussein is a case in point. He was intelligent but not very diplomatic.

"I think there should be one single opinion among the Arabs. We do not need democracy.

"Saudi Crown Prince MBS does not allow dissenting views, but see how he has opened up Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a giant. True, some dictatorships, like Ceausescu's, were bad, but there are dictators who are benevolent.

"If you behave like a human being, you have no reason to fear a military rule or an autocratic regime. If you behave like a human being, you have nothing to hide. I didn't smuggle anything, didn't steal anything, didn't lie to anyone, didn't evade paying my taxes... I have nothing to worry about. On the contrary, if the rule is strict, it serves my interests."