Creepiest regime

[Monoriu]

They are what they are.  We need to adapt to their existence and stop being creeped out.  It is all part of reality and part of life. 

[Valmy]

They are what they are.  We need to adapt to their existence and stop being creeped out.  It is all part of reality and part of life. 

Being creeped out is how I adapt to their existence. I don't see the pressing need to not be creeped out by things. There are many things in life and reality that cause people to be creeped out, there must be a good and natural reason for that. Why do you reject nature, Mono?

[celedhring]

The easy three to choose were Russia, North Korea and China.

The next level would be Turkey, Hungary, Venezuela and Poland - but I didn't see Poland.

Saudi Arabia out-creeps Russia by a fair bit.

Interesting.  Russia was by far my first choice .  They invaded the Ukraine, they are actively attempting (and succeeding) to undermine democratic institutions and elections around the world.  And they are a kleptocracy with nuclear weapons.   What makes Saudi Arabia more significant for you?

I'd rather be a subject of the Russian regime than Saudi Arabia's, by far. That was my metric.

Not that I'd cherish either prospect.

[Monoriu]

They are what they are.  We need to adapt to their existence and stop being creeped out.  It is all part of reality and part of life. 

Being creeped out is how I adapt to their existence. I don't see the pressing need to not be creeped out by things. There are many things in life and reality that cause people to be creeped out, there must be a good and natural reason for that. Why do you reject nature, Mono?

I don't think being creeped out is a particularly pleasant experience.  I am only creeped out by things that I consider abnormal.  Whether something is normal or not largely exists in my mind, so it is something I can control.  If I consider something to be normal, then I stop being creeped out, and that's a good thing. 

[Valmy]

I could live in either Saudi Arabia or Russia and not see another person for months. So both of those countries at least have that going for them.

[grumbler]

Creepiest regime is not the same as most dangerous or most reprehensible, in my mind.  Creepy to me is more about arbitrariness and random acts of violence or oppression.

Saudi Arabia has to be one of the creepiest.  Not just murdering guests in its embassies and dismembering the corpses so the pieces could be smuggled out, but random executions of people for apostasy when their neighbors just dislike them, and a generally morally corrupt political and judicial system.  Gotta acknowledge the power of the Palantir to corrupt.

North Korea is the post child for creepy.  Any list it doesn't top should be ignored.

I selected the Philippines for my third, though there were some other strong candidates.  It's another place where murder is condoned, so long as the perp claims the victim is a drug dealer or an addict.  No proof needed.  Also condoned in advance rape by his soldiers of Muslim women.

[Razgovory]

USA, because the Donald Trump regime is not centered around Donald Trump, it is a newish current in US politics that many people really like.  For all their aversion to facism, they do love a dysfunctional state run by an ego-maniac.

I thought you would be more sympathetic to your fellow Nationalists.

[Tonitrus]

I gotta agree completely with the grumbler.

Russia/China have terrible regimes...but the word "creepy" just doesn't really fit.

[crazy canuck]

"So can we" replaces "Yes we can"

[Camerus]

In addition to what grumbler wrote, I'd also define "creepy" as a regime that peddles a bizarre or ludicrously false ideology.

I only voted for North Korea, but did consider a couple other choices.

Russia and China's regimes OTOH don't qualify because they seem more like natural manifestations of historical cultures, and thus not particularly odd or creepy within local logic.

[Iormlund]

Most of the candidates are relatively vanilla flavors of evil, and can't exert that much influence abroad.

I voted Chine due to its use of technology to control their citizens. I voted the US due to the rising populism and the gradual erosion of freedom (civil forfeiture, cop murders, electronic surveillance).

[The Minsky Moment]

Saudis hands down, but Pakistan should definitely be in the running.  LOTS of messed up things there.

[grumbler]

Saudis hands down, but Pakistan should definitely be in the running.  LOTS of messed up things there.

Yeah, Pakistan was #4 on my list.  Another place where the rule of law is deliberately ignored by officials.

[Tonitrus]

I agree wholeheartedly on Saudi Arabia.  The biggest reason being their longtime support of Wahhabism.

Nukes still pose the greatest threat, but they're currently like a long-dormant super volcano (ala the Yellowstone caldera).  Wahhabism and its affect on a major world religion (as the Inquisition was in its day) is a constant, ongoing misery against humanity now and will be well into the future.

[The Brain]

"Creep out" is a lot different from a number of other negative things about something. The Vatican got on my voting list because I find a state based on pedophilia creepy af, but I don't think The Vatican is particularly dangerous compared to many others on the list.