The World's Worst Dictators

[Formaldehyde]

There was recent discussion in another thread that Kim Jong Il was the worst dictator of all time.

Falling from the #1 spot last year, Parade magazine now has him in the #3 spot behind Robert Mugabe and Omar Al-Bashir. Coming in 5th is the first US ally on the list, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Last year, he was ranked #4.

http://www.parade.com/dictators/2009/

Discuss.

 

[Phlegmak]

Meh. Articles with numbered lists are always fun, but this one seems more pointless than usual. Sure it's loads of fun to catologue atrocities by dictators but I just don't feel very compelled by this list.

EDIT: Also, worst dictator of all time needs historical dictators, such as everyone's favorite, Hitler.

 

[Ramius75]

i would love to repress religion thou... -_-"

 

[Sharwood]

Bah, if he were that bad he'd not be in power. Now Gorbachev, he was a bad dictator.

 

[MobBoss]

You mean GWB didnt make the top 3? Pshaw. Must be a crap list then.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

i would love to repress religion thou... -_-"

Bah, if he were that bad he'd not be in power. Now Gorbachev, he was a bad dictator.

That was my first thought. He may be a bad head of state, but as a dictator he is top-notch.

 

[Patroklos]

Falling from the #1 spot last year, Parade magazine now has him in the #3 spot behind Robert Mugabe and Omar Al-Bashir. Coming in 5th is the first US ally on the list, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Last year, he was ranked #4.

Are we going for currently in power (Parade article) or of all time (as your comment about Lil Kim indicated)?

If it is all time Mugabee and Abdullah don't even register.

 

[Ramius75]

im athiest... -_-"

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

im athiest... -_-"

Well, yeah, but the comment was a bit of a non-sequiter. I didn't think this thread was "What would you do if you were a dictator?"

 

[Formaldehyde]

Are we going for currently in power (Parade article) or of all time (as your comment about Lil Kim indicated)?

If it is all time Mugabee and Abdullah don't even register.

Sorry. That is misleading. I should have been clearer. Personally, I really don't care which list people want to discuss, but the intent was a discussion of the current worst dictators.

 

[Kerozine]

Where is Mahmoud Ahmajinejad?

 

[Formaldehyde]

You might want to look under Sayyid Ali Khamenei, who dropped from #4 to #7.

 

[Sharwood]

Well, yeah, but the comment was a bit of a non-sequiter. I didn't think this thread was "What would you do if you were a dictator?"

That's a good idea for a thread though.

 

[RedRalph]

How do you mean 'worst'? evil, or ineffective and imcopetent?

 

[Rossiya]

Where is Mahmoud Ahmajinejad?

Is that a post a parody?

 

[Formaldehyde]

How do you mean 'worst'? evil, or ineffective and imcopetent?

Since Parade seems to flip-flop back and forth on that particular issue, I'd say it is fair for you to do so as well.

You guys sure do seem to like to have a lot of rules about what is being discussed...

 

[Sharwood]

Since Parade seems to flip-flop back and forth on that particular issue, I'd say it is fair for you to do so as well.

You guys sure do seem to like to have a lot of rules about what is being discussed...

It gives us guidelines, so we know when we're off-topic.

 

[RedRalph]

Kim Jong Il is certaintly the most dictatorial leader on Earth today, without a doubt. If there was a Morgan Tsvangirai equivalent in DPRK he would already be dead, and they wouldnt evebn bother to pretend it was an accident.

 

[Kerozine]

Is that a post a parody?

It is if you want it to be.

 

[generalstaff]

I cannot believe that Hu Jintao is so low, considering the recent events around the Olympics. He should be one below the Sudanese dictator since his country is encouraging that genocide.

I also cannot believe that Iran is even on the list. It may have an authoritarian regime which is repressive and somewhat brutal, but that is also true for most countries in the world.