I was a big fan of the Godzilla movie franchise as a kid. During the early 70s (I was born in 1962), WABC TV used to show movies (mostly from the late 50s and 60s) at 4:30 pm. Most weeks had a theme and I looked forward to Godzilla week every six months. I particularly liked movies that featured in addition to Godzilla, other monsters threatening to destroy humanity. By the late 60s, Japanese and American scientists and military personnel in these movies protected humankind from destruction by sequestering Godzilla and company on a fictional pacific island dubbed Monster Island.

What if we did the same thing to human monsters and created Dictator Island. Butchers such as Saddam Hussein before removal could abdicate and still save face by accepting asylum in the maximum security yet luxurious setting of my proposed Dictator Island.

Dictator Island would be an attractive option for megalomaniacs knowing the imminence of internal coup attempts or foreign military intervention. A forced retirement in guarded luxury would be preferable to the dictators with at least a modicum of sanity left (Granted, many throughout history have had none remaining by the time of their removal), to war crime trials or execution.

A palatable alternative to forced removal could save thousands if not millions of lives by encouraging despots to terminate their terror reigns and ending the slaughter of their subjects before regime change, suicide or natural death. Every day less these dictators rule the greater number of innocent lives spared. Bloodless removal also would prevent death associated with coups and military action.

Tyrants would be allowed limited pillaging of their national treasuries before relocating to the island (Which would be going on anyway as long as they remain in power and some of that cash would be used to pay for the island's upkeep) and some staff, so they could live out their lives in relative luxury. Their family could accompany them but neither the evil leaders, their families nor staff would be allowed to leave the island except under exceptional circumstances, which would require UN Security Council or other similar multi-national organizational approval. Visitation from the outside world other than deliveries would be prohibited.

Although these semi-prisoners would be allowed phone service and internet access, all communication would be heavily monitored. They and their entourages would be permitted to roam the island freely but they would be always under the watch of armed military personnel and SWAT team equivalents.

The island would have to be at least several hundred miles from the nearest significantly populated area and would have its air space and waters heavily guarded by international military forces.

The forced security part of this royal lifestyle incarceration package protects the world from human monsters and the ruthless rulers themselves by preventing revenge assassination (except from family and disgruntled employees living on the island with the mass murders), which would still be a worry for them if they accepted asylum in a friendly country.

Letting some of the most evil people ever to live to escape punishment is contrary to most people's sense of justice. I would personally find it difficult to tell those close to victims of these totalitarian governments that they don't deserve revenge. But vindication through death or real imprisonment won't reverse their loved one's fate. However, encouraging abdication with an alternative to punishment would prevent thousands and perhaps millions of deaths by eliminating regular systematic murder by these tyrants while in power and the bloodshed associated with internal coups and foreign intervention.