All of a sudden, under the harshest dictatorship, there was a way for people to say things they wanted to say.

Oh, and North Korea are a nuclear power with a harsh dictatorship, hardly what I'd call "irrelevant."

Political parties began organizing for elections, but within weeks an ultraconservative military group seized power, abolished the constitution, and imposed a harsh dictatorship.

"One reason thought has been free in the harshest dictatorships is that dictators haven't been able to detect it."

To solidify his harsh dictatorship he has routinely murdered his opponents.

Mr. Kim understands well enough that North Korea remains a harsh dictatorship and a potential military threat.

But his harsh American-backed dictatorship suppressed dissent and stunted the development of democratic politics.

After a devastating nuclear war, the surviving people of earth have been forced to live in underground caverns, ruled by harsh dictatorships.

"Corruption is a big problem and it is very difficult to fight without a harsh dictatorship," said a senior adviser to Mr. Shevardnadze.

The harsh military dictatorship of the profiteer Mobutu kept the country united for years in apparent peace, but the differences were never bridged.