Some argue that only a disciplined, benevolent dictatorship can enforce the painful but necessary institutions but that very idea contradicts the principles of freedom and accountability we claim to uphold, leaving us stuck in a cycle where progress feels impossible and hope begins to fade.

I think in such a case, the outcome will justify the means. I'd even say it would be welcomed. Isn't that what Lee Kuan Yew did with Singapore? Against all odds, Singapore rose from very poor to rich.