Favorite Dictator?

[Ganymede]

There were many interesting and historically entertaining dictators throughout the years of mankind. I'd have to say I like Joseph Stalin and Saddam Hussien the most; they were fascinating individuals. Hitler was a captivating historical figure as well, but he gets too many accolades and is generally overhyped.
Keep in mind this has nothing to do with anyone agreeing with a given dictator's ideology, just who was the most intersting...

 

[cccrrraaannnkkk666]

I myself have always found Hitler to be the most interesting. It's mostly how he formed his outlook on germany and the rest for Europe that is so fascinating. Maybe if he had been accepted in art school he may not have ever been heard of. I found stalin and russian society of the period to be interesting also, but I've not read much on the subject.

 

[Birkenau]

Hitler was perhaps the wests last chance at redeeming itself from a liberal democratic plague. While I doubt we would be living in a utopia or anything similar if Hitler had won the war, the world would not be in the disgusting state it has been gradually sloping into for the last thousand years. So Hitler gets my vote.

 

[Birkenau]

Also, I've always found Pol Pot to be pretty interesting, his reasoning, while very irrational, had some truth to it.

 

[speed]

The original Dictator, Julius Caesar, has been a fascination of mine my whole life.

 

[Korona]

Saddam Hussain was a pretty good leader. He wanted to unite a fractured country and westernise its legal system. He also wanted to make a strong army that would make Iraq a strong country.

Hitler and Stalin were both badass but Stalin did better Hitler vs Stalin

 

[Donnie Darko]

I gotta go with Stalin

 

[derek]

I don't know if i can really pick a favourite dictator, maybe that's not the best word. Being a classics lecturer I would have to go with the ancient dictators, Caesar being my favourite example also.

Hitler obviously inhabits the public consciousness a great deal since films about him come thick and fast every year. To me he also represents something of huge morbid fascination.

 

[speed]

I don't know if i can really pick a favourite dictator, maybe that's not the best word. Being a classics lecturer I would have to go with the ancient dictators, Caesar being my favourite example also.

Hitler obviously inhabits the public consciousness a great deal since films about him come thick and fast every year. To me he also represents something of huge morbid fascination.

I suppose you also enjoy Sulla as well? From Marius to Caesar, there are so many interesting Roman figures imn that one hundred years it is hard to pick just one. Caesar is by far the most skilled general and politician of all of them. However, Sulla, with his retiring to his little farm, his reconstitution of the republic, his enjoyment of pleasures, his allowance to his soliders of any cruelty and whim; well that has always been almost as fascinating as Caesar.

I personally love the book on Caesar by Christian Meier. Fantastic.

I'd love to be a classics prof, but over here you have to be fluent in Greek and Latin and be able to go all the way to a PhD to actually teach classics. I can read Greek though.

 

[derek]

PhD standard is required here too, but being fluent in one of the ancient languages is required but two is obviously better. I am not perfect in either but I havent quite finished my phd yet, still an associate lecturer...for another 3 months or so

 

[speed]

For Final Prod:

The problem over here is the cost of education is so much higher, especially when one has to foot the entire bill oneself. I actually was thinking about getting a PHd in Economic History, or History, so I sent a inquiry letter to Indiana UNiv--very prestigious history school, and they basically sent a standard form letter back informing everyone that now is a very bad time to get a Phd in History.

Im basically have to make a big decision right now. Wed. I take the final interview/assessment for the foreign service--which I will take if I pass. If I dont pass I havent been able to obtain a job in my field, as no one wants to hire entry level, since I am right out of grad school. So I was thinking about the Phd; I just dont have any money and I am still in debt from previous schooling.

 

[derek]

^Totally understand. I got into £14,000 student debt during my four-yr undergrad with about £3000 debts to banks, plus a £2000 graduate endowment. So that totalled about £19,000. Fortunately I have quite an extended period of time to pay off both the student debt and the graduate endowment, and have now payed off my bank debt.

One of my undergrad theology lecturers was an American whom decided to do a PhD in the U.K. He told me on numerous occasions it was a much more viable option.

PhD's are becoming much more competitive to both gain entry too and also gain funding for because of a huge increase in applicants. With University level schooling no longer "elite" many folks see a PhD as the only way of making themselves stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, it is a circular motion because PhD graduates are no longer as "elite" as they were, so that leaves us in the sitation of deciding whether going for a PhD is really worth it.

 

[speed]

^Totally understand. I got into £14,000 student debt during my four-yr undergrad with about £3000 debts to banks, plus a £2000 graduate endowment. So that totalled about £19,000. Fortunately I have quite an extended period of time to pay off both the student debt and the graduate endowment, and have now payed off my bank debt.

One of my undergrad theology lecturers was an American whom decided to do a PhD in the U.K. He told me on numerous occasions it was a much more viable option.

PhD's are becoming much more competitive to both gain entry too and also gain funding for because of a huge increase in applicants. With University level schooling no longer "elite" many folks see a PhD as the only way of making themselves stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, it is a circular motion because PhD graduates are no longer as "elite" as they were, so that leaves us in the sitation of deciding whether going for a PhD is really worth it.

You have hit the nail on the head. If one wishes to have a career in most humanistic or social science fields--or even some sciences--one has to obtain a Phd or teach snot-nosed pimply, pubescent punks, or comely, crass, little temptresses. Sorry, I was reading old Nabokov before I wrote this.

And so many people are deciding to actually go through with the Phd., especially foreigners who wish to escape for the length of their doctorate.

Alas, I am forgetting the dictators thread. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the little emperor--Napoleon.

 

[Ganymede]

Sam Austin, Slobodan Milisovic, Robert Mugabe, and Fidel Castro all also deserve mention here.

 

[The Winnipeg Warrior]

Sam Austin, Slobodan Milisovic, Robert Mugabe, and Fidel Castro all also deserve mention here.

Glad that you mentioned Castro. Despite his 5 hour rants, I find him fascinating. And having made numerous visits to Cuba and having made many friends in both Holguin and Varadero, he could probably give some advice as to how to properly run a country from both an economic and military standpoint. If you've been there and have had a chance to see the country away from the resorts, it may open a few eyes. Because, this is one forward-thinking country when it comes to medical research, educational quality, political programs, and art & athletic achievement. For a country of just over 11 million people, there are more world class athletes, entertainers, and accredited professionals than any other country on a per capita basis. Not too shabby!

Cuban history is a pretty cool thing to study. And it's quite another to witness it first-hand, away from the sanctity of your ocean-front resort. Sadly, so many people hide when they get down there.....just like a bunch of fat spoiled cattle waiting in the buffet line.

revolución o muerte
(this is what you see on the runway wall as your plane lands or takes off anywhere in Cuba )

 

[ARC150]

You have hit the nail on the head. If one wishes to have a career in most humanistic or social science fields--or even some sciences--one has to obtain a Phd or teach snot-nosed pimply, pubescent punks, or comely, crass, little temptresses. Sorry, I was reading old Nabokov before I wrote this.

And so many people are deciding to actually go through with the Phd., especially foreigners who wish to escape for the length of their doctorate.

Alas, I am forgetting the dictators thread. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the little emperor--Napoleon.

Sorry for encouraging the threadjack, but...

Go to Japan.

Waseda university - the most prestigious Univ. in the country and located right smack in the middle of Tokyo - has their own version of an affirmative action policy that dictates a large annual sum of money for gaigin students. You are practically guaranteed a full ride just for being not Japanese. You need to speak Japanese (they have many english-taught courses, but Japanese fluency allows full reign of the cirriculum), but a crash course in the language combined with actually living there will get you up to speed (no pun intended) in no time.

 

[speed]

Sorry for encouraging the threadjack, but...

Go to Japan.

Waseda university - the most prestigious Univ. in the country and located right smack in the middle of Tokyo - has their own version of an affirmative action policy that dictates a large annual sum of money for gaigin students. You are practically guaranteed a full ride just for being not Japanese. You need to speak Japanese (they have many english-taught courses, but Japanese fluency allows full reign of the cirriculum), but a crash course in the language combined with actually living there will get you up to speed (no pun intended) in no time.

Well that is a interesting idea. Especially since I have heard American men are gods with the Japanese ladies. But I think it would take me a while to figure out what the hell was going on in the classes. I always can get a scholarship from a not-highly-ranked state school as I did for my Masters.
Any ideas on possible employment opportunities and/or higher education are appreciated. This could be my version of Careerbuilder.com

 

[ARC150]

Well that is a interesting idea. Especially since I have heard American men are gods with the Japanese ladies. But I think it would take me a while to figure out what the hell was going on in the classes. I always can get a scholarship from a not-highly-ranked state school as I did for my Masters.
Any ideas on possible employment opportunities and/or higher education are appreciated. This could be my version of Careerbuilder.com

BTW - YES, Americans are god there...I'd give you stories, but for the fact that I was there, I wouldn't belive them anyway.

As far as employment and further education (if you mean after receiving a degree), continued acadameia or something in foreign-something are your routes. If you mean employment while there, I averaged $45/hr teaching english (you can make more if you aren't working under-the-table like I was), $65/hr remodeliing upscale clubs and $150/hr teaching/training martial arts students (keep in mind too, that I am a native, anglo-american and I was teaching Japanese karate to Japanese students)...and I was singing for a Black Metal band..."Women flow to you like water from a faucet" is the description I was given before I went there...it is true and then some.

One of the hardest things I ever did was moving there (I bought a plane ticket, but knew no one, did not speak the language, had no place to live and had no job); one of the hardest things I ever did was leave there...

 

[NietjeTuck]

I would say Lenin, during the War-Communism era in Russian History (Civil War). He is fascinating. Stalin and Hitler were simply deceptive and wormy.

 

[derek]

I love the idea about studying in Japan...can you point me (speed also - i'm assuming?) in a direction to find out more?

I'm almost finished a phd, but really wanna branch out a bit and study in some different places and i've always wanted to go to Japan again (i visited as a child, but never absorbed much).

cheers!