Your mental model is wrong. Check The Dictators Handbook for a better understanding, or to save time watch CGPGrey’s 10y old video explainer “Rules for Rulers”. Thank me later

“It didn’t end up great, it didn’t lead to a better future, but boy was it beautiful” is something many wrong doers often say, e.g. escobar

"I couldn't do it successfully so you shouldn't try"

Same image for when someone tries to enumerate to you with a straight face, reasons for low birth rates that were still there or were even much worse back when the birth rates were higher. Education and social wellfare if you haven’t checked are inversely correlated with birth rates.