Bad Politics, Worse Prose
April 20, 2011 7:09 AM Subscribe
Famous dictators and the books/poetry they write.
Some additional reading for those who are so inclined:
Benito Mussolini's The Doctrine Of Fascism
Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars
And of course, on his birthday, Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf
Some additional reading for those who are so inclined:
Benito Mussolini's The Doctrine Of Fascism
Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars
And of course, on his birthday, Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf
*fighting nausea, almost passing out* That was... amazing. Such a grasp of...
posted by likeso at 7:19 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by likeso at 7:19 AM on April 20, 2011
Even an animal respects a man's desire, if it wants to copulate with him. Doesn't a female bear try to please a herdsman when she drags him into the mountains as it happens in the North of Iraq?
The answer to this question is "no."
The response to the starting statement is "I will just go stand over here, if you don't mind."
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:21 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
The answer to this question is "no."
The response to the starting statement is "I will just go stand over here, if you don't mind."
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:21 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Yeah... still processing the rest of that Zabiba and the King excerpt...
Um, thanks, gman?
(seriously: very interesting article)
posted by likeso at 7:24 AM on April 20, 2011
Um, thanks, gman?
(seriously: very interesting article)
posted by likeso at 7:24 AM on April 20, 2011
This reminds me of celebrities who branch out and record mediocre albums. If I had a pile of money I'd pursue other interests too! Except for the murderous dictatorship part.
posted by usonian at 7:31 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by usonian at 7:31 AM on April 20, 2011
This Is Just To Say
I have annexed
the Sudetenland
that was rightfully
German
and which
you were probably
saving
for Czechoslovakia
Forgive me
it was delicious
so essential
and so preliminary
posted by The Bellman at 7:34 AM on April 20, 2011 [19 favorites]
I have annexed
the Sudetenland
that was rightfully
German
and which
you were probably
saving
for Czechoslovakia
Forgive me
it was delicious
so essential
and so preliminary
posted by The Bellman at 7:34 AM on April 20, 2011 [19 favorites]
Henry VIII's Assertio septem sacramentorium, or, defence of the seven sacraments
posted by Jahaza at 7:42 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Jahaza at 7:42 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Interesting - thank you. I'd heard about Stalin having dabbled in poetry, but had never seen any examples of his work. Presumably this helps explain why he took such a keen interest in the fates of Mandelshtam, et al.
posted by misteraitch at 8:15 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by misteraitch at 8:15 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Maybe not a dictator per se, but the prison diary of Ho Chi Minh is pretty interesting.
posted by klanawa at 8:19 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by klanawa at 8:19 AM on April 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Shithead Mao (*spit*) was a poet too. Supposedly not too bad at it.
posted by kmz at 8:47 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by kmz at 8:47 AM on April 20, 2011
Hilters Mein Kampf (my struggle) is his only decent well thought out book, and was mostly for the followers of national socialism.
posted by taxpayer at 8:54 AM on April 20, 2011
posted by taxpayer at 8:54 AM on April 20, 2011
The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld.
posted by JLovebomb at 9:20 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by JLovebomb at 9:20 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Famous dictators and the wars they lost.
Famous dictators and the songs they liked.
Famous dictators and the gardens they grew.
Famous dictators and the games they played.
Famous dictators and the toys they didn't share.
Famous dictators and the palaces they called home.
Famous dictators and the hamburgers they enjoyed.
Famous dictators and the other hobbies that they pursued.
Famous dictators and the hairstyles that made them unique.
Famous dictators and the professions of the mothers that loved them.
Famous dictators and the children's books that made them the men they were.
Famous dictators and the objects that were found on their dead bodies.
Famous dictators and the bodies they hid inside of objects.
Famous dictators and the stories they told at parties.
Famous dictators and the wacky pranks they pulled.
Famous dictators and the dresses they dressed in.
Famous dictators and their roommates in college.
Famous dictators and the decrees they dictated.
Famous dictators and the toys they didn't share.
Famous dictators and the paintings they made.
Famous dictators and the dances they danced.
Famous dictators and the pets they loved.
posted by TwelveTwo at 10:50 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Famous dictators and the songs they liked.
Famous dictators and the gardens they grew.
Famous dictators and the games they played.
Famous dictators and the toys they didn't share.
Famous dictators and the palaces they called home.
Famous dictators and the hamburgers they enjoyed.
Famous dictators and the other hobbies that they pursued.
Famous dictators and the hairstyles that made them unique.
Famous dictators and the professions of the mothers that loved them.
Famous dictators and the children's books that made them the men they were.
Famous dictators and the objects that were found on their dead bodies.
Famous dictators and the bodies they hid inside of objects.
Famous dictators and the stories they told at parties.
Famous dictators and the wacky pranks they pulled.
Famous dictators and the dresses they dressed in.
Famous dictators and their roommates in college.
Famous dictators and the decrees they dictated.
Famous dictators and the toys they didn't share.
Famous dictators and the paintings they made.
Famous dictators and the dances they danced.
Famous dictators and the pets they loved.
posted by TwelveTwo at 10:50 AM on April 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Poems by Mao :
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/poems/index.htm
posted by plep at 12:07 PM on April 20, 2011
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/poems/index.htm
posted by plep at 12:07 PM on April 20, 2011
Open the door of the tavern and let us go there day and night,
For I am sick and tired of the mosque and seminary.
I have torn off the garb of asceticism and hypocrisy,
Putting on the cloak of the tavern-hunting shaykh and becoming aware.
The city preacher has so tormented me with his advice
That I have sought aid from the breath of the wine-drenched profligate.
Leave me alone to remember the idol-temple,
I who have been awakened by the hand of the tavern's idol.
--Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
I'd read more of his stuff.
posted by Shit Parade at 2:34 PM on April 20, 2011
For I am sick and tired of the mosque and seminary.
I have torn off the garb of asceticism and hypocrisy,
Putting on the cloak of the tavern-hunting shaykh and becoming aware.
The city preacher has so tormented me with his advice
That I have sought aid from the breath of the wine-drenched profligate.
Leave me alone to remember the idol-temple,
I who have been awakened by the hand of the tavern's idol.
--Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
I'd read more of his stuff.
posted by Shit Parade at 2:34 PM on April 20, 2011
. If I had a pile of money I'd pursue other interests too! Except for the murderous dictatorship part.
It's tough in these economic times. I keep saving up but just never have quite enough to branch out into the murderous dictator field.
posted by mannequito at 4:45 PM on April 20, 2011
It's tough in these economic times. I keep saving up but just never have quite enough to branch out into the murderous dictator field.
posted by mannequito at 4:45 PM on April 20, 2011
There has always been an odd resonance between dictators and creative expression. They both evoke metaphors designed to capture the imagination.
If defined by sheer the number of copies published, Chairman Mao was the most successful poet in human history (if you don't count The Bible as poetry, which is possibly debatable).
(Here is a link to Wikipedia's List of Best Selling Books as interpreted in April 2010. The current Wikipedia list excludes The Bible, The Koran, Mao, etc, because, as we know, the numbers of copies printed were vague estimates, not "facts"; and also because these numbers of copies printed were often not technically "sold", and therefore not technically "Best Selling").
posted by ovvl at 6:01 PM on April 20, 2011
If defined by sheer the number of copies published, Chairman Mao was the most successful poet in human history (if you don't count The Bible as poetry, which is possibly debatable).
(Here is a link to Wikipedia's List of Best Selling Books as interpreted in April 2010. The current Wikipedia list excludes The Bible, The Koran, Mao, etc, because, as we know, the numbers of copies printed were vague estimates, not "facts"; and also because these numbers of copies printed were often not technically "sold", and therefore not technically "Best Selling").
posted by ovvl at 6:01 PM on April 20, 2011
The poetry of Radovan Karadzic.
there are about 16 more but it makes me quesy to post them all.
posted by clavdivs at 8:24 PM on April 20, 2011
there are about 16 more but it makes me quesy to post them all.
posted by clavdivs at 8:24 PM on April 20, 2011
« Older Kindle Library Lending | Big Steve is Watching You? Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
As plured gabbleblochits on a lurgid bee.
Groop, I implore thee my foonting turlingdromes.
And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,
Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurlecruncheon, see if I don’t.
(by Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz)
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:16 AM on April 20, 2011 [7 favorites]