Fascism in the desert A microcosmic view of archaeological politics

Abstract

It is arguable whether or not the foreign policy of a dictatorship can be more extreme than that of democracies. Depending upon the nature of the particular dictatorship, foreign policy might be more volatile than consistent, subject to the whims of the individual ruler. While imperialism has certainly been supported by democracies, it can neatly suit the needs of a dictator: he can encourage popular support at home with a policy of imperialistic aggression while inflicting the effects on innocent neighbors, whom he need only conquer or suppress. © 2004 Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York.