Republicanism or Democracy: Which is better and why?

[Jake]

A dictatorship is best, but a republic is the best democratic system of government. It is supposed to elect good representatives that aren't easily swayed by public opinion. Obviously, our republican system has been corrupted by special interests and the average fool on the street. Also, the recent poll that asked whether public opinion should come into play when the Supreme Court makes a decision, 50% said yes it should. The dangers of common fools running the country is seen again and again.

[Jake]

A dictatorship is best

Fascist

I probably shouldn't bother, but I'll bite. A dictatorship is much easier than any form of democracy simply because there isn't debate. The dictator can immediately produce change or reform without allowing for easily swayed fools to debate his ideas, change them, or knock them down. Of course, a Hitler type dictator is certainly not desirable and is not better than a democratic system, but a benevolent dictator or an elected dictator, similar to those during times of crisis in the Roman Republic, are miles better than any democracy.

[Jake]

So then you should like Hugo Chavez, since you consider him a dictator, meaning he replaced a republican system with a dictatorship in your view. Yet you hate him.

This would be relevent if I disliked Chavez for being a dictator, of course it's not because I dislike Chavez because he is anti-American.