I’ve been a regular visitor since then, and I must say I have never been disappointed in its breadth and depth of tyrant-related coverage. Closing our eyes to its vaguely sinister German language sister-site, we’ll assume it’s all good tongue-in-cheek fun and leave it at that. Otherwise my ethical position would be terrible, and I’d hate to live in a world where that could be true…
Anyway, the site has added poignancy for me ever since I invented my marvellous new Alternatron, which allows me to explore alternative histories by changing key events in history. It’s amazing how many top-notch dictators there were who never got the chance to explore their full potential.
Brian Wilson, for example, was a real bastard as acting military governor of post-nuclear California.
Brian Wilson yesterday – the embodiment of ultimate evil. Oooo – makes my skin crawl just looking at him.
13 comments:
As a somewhat pointless footnote on Brian Wilson: in the documentary "Theremin", one can catch a perplexing but ultimately entertaining interview of the might-have-been dictator, in a decidedly under-medicated state.
I cannot believe you have not yet featured Jacques Santer.
What? They have articles on lame-ass wusses like Janos Kadar and Ter-Petrosyan, but there's not entry on Ceausescu? These guys' claims to objectivity have now been thoroughly undermined. But I had my doubts even before I started inspecting their archives. From a DoM article on East Germany:
Now Germany, like Holland, is at a crossroads, Either the „pure German Culture will be fostered or abandoned; but no matter what the culture will change as more foreign influences come into Germany.
I suspect this is a piece written from exile by DoM featuree Alfredo Stroessner.
I will, however, check back regularly. Soon enough, they'll have a piece on Tony Blair, too.
If the Beach Boys were tannoyed to the masses daily it would beat any populace into submission.
Whilst knowing in my head how seminal and important was their music, I have never been able to listen to more than 3 or 4 Beach Boy songs at one sitting. The falsetto seems to jangle at precisely the same nerve as some nerve of mine that aspires to aural epilepsy.
Timely medication has ruined a lot of promising careers, JB. Let's just be happy for Brian that he managed to escape his handlers for a few brief moments of creative self-expression.
That I haven't featured Jacques, Aunty? Or that DotM hasn't? Eurocrats are too banal to be truly evil. Dante already has their spot picked out for them - the Vestibule of Hell, where those who took no stand for or against anything are condemned to chase eternally after a blank banner. Perhaps we need a site for that - "Seven People You Might Meet In Hell" © IvanCrap Productions 2006...
It's like I said, Des, you've got to be careful about sites in German. Germans are so often "misunderstood".
Hi Sam - and count your blessings. If the Beach Boys were bad, imagine the damage the Carpenters could have done...
Lizzie Blackhead had no relation whatsoever to the American Lawrence of Arabia--not any more than these makers of pomade do. She did, however, do a great service to all of the United States by educating world-class barytone Thomas Hampson. Another inspired move was to marry Walter Legge, one of the finest producers of opera recordings, and an early enthusiast for stereo sound. Their talents come together in pieces like this one.
In fact, I now see that Seamus has, in one of his blog posts, provided a German-English version of one of Strauss' Four Last Songs. Go read it, and then buy the disc--no, not that one. This one.
Phew. That was a lot of hrefs.
I love the Google ads on that site, they're all for executive training. No bullying in the workplace then...........
Chin up, Seamus - you are a contender, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
The idea of Paul and Bamber sitting around the same turkey at Christmas is quite entertaining. Imagine the fight over the remote control after dinner.
I'm just surprised there's not more nonsense about the Brothers Blair (Tony and Sir Ian). Hard to believe they're not related, really. They certainly deserve each other...
Des - that's enough Schwartzkopfs, thanks. We knew there were plenty of them, but it's still a bit creepy to realize how many of them walk among us...
And Apprentice, it is an interesting juxtaposition - workplace training alongside dictatorship. I guess that kind of boss just makes you want to polish the resume and move on.
That's a great story. Waiting for more. » » »
Enjoyed a lot! »
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