You become absolute dictator of your country. What do you do?

[FreelancePoliceman]

Institute a ministry of culture to ensure movies and TV are of a certain caliber. And dissolve Hollywood. No more superhero movies, no more YA dystopian movies, no more action movies, particularly the variety with attractive, strong female protagonists with a male sidekick they berate and shitty attempts at humor. All that goes. Audiences have clearly indicated A) they don't know what's best for them and B) they're idiots, so it'll be up to me to force culture and taste down their throats.



More seriously, beyond that, rent control. Rent control. Rent control. More heavy regulation of housing. Rent control. Seize state (and possibly private -- I am dictator, after all!) universities, summarily execute every member of the administration who's voted for a significant tuition cost increase since, oh, 1985, and put them under state control, with free or cheap tuition costs. All business colleges will be abolished. Professors will not be allowed to mention Marx in a classroom unless they've read something of his besides the Manifesto. Seize hospitals and do something similar as with universities: state-subsidized healthcare for all. Mandate that health insurance companies release all debts without reimbursement. Then look into lower education. Summarily execute school administrators and seize their property. Institute a literacy test for teachers -- they shan't be able to continue teaching or get hired unless they can actually write legible English. Prohibit football and forbid any sport program with a budget of over, say, $300 per player or something sensible, adjusted for inflation. Work to create a better system than the travesty we have now. There are so many things wrong with it I wouldn't know where to begin listing them.

Summarily execute anyone who voted for the Iraq War. Execute all living Presidents, perhaps besides Carter because he seems a decent fellow. Invest in nuclear power and jump at any excuse to attack fossil fuel industries and nationalize their assets. Nationalize telecommunications. Continue the tariffs against China. Hike taxes on plastic. Ban plastic straws.