NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, have you ever had a burning desire to tell everyone just how much you love Hitler? Or Saddam Hussein? Maybe Musharraf, or that Japanese dude from WWII? Well here is the place! Well I guess those are all fairly recent dictators, so maybe some of you have a taste for the classic, like Charlemagne or Alexander.
Personally I feel partial to Genghis Khan, while maybe not a dictator, his slaughter and wave of destruction that he wrought is not to be smirked upon! He was also named Man of the Millennium in some magazine that I've forgotten the name of! And etc. etc...

Tamerlane, without a doubt.

Charlemagne, who managed to unify and rule most of Western Europe, bringing a centralised system of law and governance to the region. Alternatively, you have the classics such as Alexander the Great or Julius Ceaser who were impressive in the amount of land they conquered.

I suspect we're mostly going to see older dictators here than more recent ones. Partially because dictatorships become more acceptable the more time passes but also because back in more ancient times, there wasn't really many alternative systems of governance, as such the positive improvements made during a dictatorship will be seen in light of this fact. In contrast in more modern dictatorships, alternative systems are available (and often offered similar benefits) and the loss of civil liberties, war-mongering and mass murders will take greater prominence.

I suspect we're mostly going to see older dictators here than more recent ones. Partially because dictatorships become more acceptable the more time passes but also because back in more ancient times, there wasn't really many alternative systems of governance, as such the positive improvements made during a dictatorship will be seen in light of this fact. In contrast in more modern dictatorships, alternative systems are available (and often offered similar benefits) and the loss of civil liberties, war-mongering and mass murders will take greater prominence.

But it's still interesting to see what everyone thinks. Plus it would be interesting to see if Uncle Joe Stalin pops up =)

But it's still interesting to see what everyone thinks. Plus it would be interesting to see if Uncle Joe Stalin pops up =)

Well we do have Andaras for that...

Lord Vetinari of Ankh-Morpork.
One man, one vote. He is the man and thus has the vote.

Charlemagne, who managed to unify and rule most of Western Europe, bringing a centralised system of law and governance to the region.

I concur, plus I have told people before on some of the better aspects of Hitler when he was in charge. I also have a bit more of a fascination towards Augustus.

Kat: LOL yes I have been on the receiving end back in my school days despite the fact that we were first given the vote, and then when we voted for someone they didn't want (yours truly) they turned around and appointed someone else sports captain. Yes I am still bitter about it despite it happening 10 years ago.

A little off-topic but did you hear that Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with cancer?

A little off-topic but did you hear that Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with cancer?

Nope. Just Alzheimers, of which the effects are becoming more and more visible.

Whew I guess I heard wrong =P I like that old dude

Nope. Just Alzheimers, of which the effects are becoming more and more visible.

It's a disaster! I've either read or own all the discworld books, but I want't more! Or at least one featuring death heavily wich can serve as a conclusion, maybe the aproxolypse finally happening?


As for the greatest dictator I'm voting for Augustus Ceaser, the first Emperor. The greatest ruller however was Queen Victoria, Imperial Empress of India.

*Hums rule Britania while waving small British flag*

The Patrician? Coin The Sourcerer had him summoned and turned into a Lizard, and then was kept in a jar by the Librarian!


My vote for Favourite Dictator goes to Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, better known as Vlad The Impaler.


He had issues. He was given as a hostage by his own father to the Ottomans and tortured, which shaped him, but later he went on to rule Wallachia favouring peasantry over nobility, except when he decided at times just to impale anybody who got on his nerves. When the Ottomans invaded with 90,000 men, he ensured the invading Sultan was greeted with the bodies of 20,000 of the Turks on stakes.


Vlad then resorted to Guerilla war to fight the Ottomans, and unable to crush him and his followers, and after Vlad himself led a small raiding party on the Sultan's camp and tried to assassinate him, the Ottomans left.



Vlad was then betrayed and imprisoned by the Hungarians, but was released and returned and re-took the Wallachia crown, only to be killed in battle against a new Ottoman invasion.

*notices that mods can delete their posts without leaving a trace*

Cool ability :) Maybe I should have voted for Kat.

*notices that mods can delete their posts without leaving a trace*

Cool ability :) Maybe I should have voted for Kat.

I didn't delete them, actually....

Hijack! (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=561741/)

The first Great Khan, of whom I'm learning quite a bit about. It seems ol' GK wasn't JUST about the looting and pillaging.

W00T! I gots another GK fan!

I actually find dictators rather amusing, as a lot of them tended to act like little kids.

I'd call a tie between Caius Iulius Caesar Augustus and Napoleon Bonaparte.

In recent times, I have to say Castro - just for his amazing staying power and commitment to his vision (although his human rights record isn't the best.... but then that's dictatorship for you)

In antiquity..... I suppose the great unifiers; the first emperor of China, The great Caesars, Charlemagne. Probably in that order.

My favorite dictator has to be Caligula. Apart from a list of sexual perversions as long as your *****, the chutzpah necessary to declare war on the god Neptune and a willingness to carry family togetherness to its logical conclusion by marrying his own sister--ya gotta admire a guy who has his horse elected to the senate.

Hey, a horse can't to much worse than some of the horse's ***** in OUR senate, right?

Go Augustus! Woo!

I would say Napoleon, but Trajan was just badass.

Alexander the great is a pretty good advert for being gay, also a cool dictatorial world conqueror.

"Crush massive nation states! Set up dynasties (maybe if you were drunk or something?)! Have a horse with toes!"

Alexander the great is a pretty good advert for being gay, also a cool dictatorial world conqueror.

"Crush massive nation states! Set up dynasties (maybe if you were drunk or something?)! Have a horse with toes!"

I'm surprised no one's really picked him. Alexander is definitely my choice. Not so much because of how much area he conquered, but rather how assimilated territory and his apparent plans to maintain it. Had he not died and left shit underling generals (ok, not really...but they were still nowhere near as capable as him), it's daunting to imagine how long his empire may have lasted.

Oh, and maybe Peter the Great? Dunno...not a huge Russian history buff so I'm not too sure. The Russian in me just wants a Slav up there somewhere. =p

I'm surprised no one's really picked him. Alexander is definitely my choice. Not so much because of how much area he conquered, but rather how assimilated territory and his apparent plans to maintain it. Had he not died and left shit underling generals (ok, not really...but they were still nowhere near as capable as him), it's daunting to imagine how long his empire may have lasted.
Just remember than Ptolemaic dynasties were kicking about until the fall of Egypt as a great empire. His impact was massive.

Just remember than Ptolemaic dynasties were kicking about until the fall of Egypt as a great empire. His impact was massive.

Oh, no doubt. It's just too bad his empire was more or less dissolved immediately upon his death. He also wanted to interbreed populations and and plant, say, Indians in Greece, Greeks in Persia and Persians in India to solidify the internal cohesion of his empire. I mean, hell, it's like something out of a Frank Herbert novel, and a testament to his foresight (at least, with the assumption that he would remain alive long enough for these things to happen). What's too bad is that he spent so little time creating a worthy successor, but, after all, he was only human.

Akbar.

But it's still interesting to see what everyone thinks. Plus it would be interesting to see if Uncle Joe Stalin pops up =)

Well we do have Andaras for that...

Well, while I don't like his philosophy or deeds I at least admire his fashion style;
http://www.facade.com/celebrity/photo/Joseph_Stalin.jpg
That just screams badass.

But in all seriousness, who is my favorite dictator? This is a bit hard for me since I love ancient history, and so many of them are dictators to one degree or another. But I think I'll go with my man Napoleon (http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/files/imagecache/news/files/20070118_napoleon.jpg). If I had to live under a despotic dictator, might was well be one that is considered the last of the enlightened despots. Plus, even if he didn't follow them himself, he did spread liberalism around Europe through his conquest.

Oh, and the master of propaganda thing. I mean he made the Egyptian Campagin (which tanked pretty badly) seem like it was the greatest thing to have ever happened.

I give Alexander and Castro honorable mentions. Alexander for the basis of Hellenic society and an attempt at creating a sort of world culture (ancient globalization?). Castro for being able to be in power for so long no matter how many times the US has tried to kill him. You go to at least respect him for that.

Ah, I forgot to give an honorable mention to Norton I, Emperor of California: America's only (Official) dictator.

Ah, I forgot to give an honorable mention to Norton I, Emperor of California: America's only (Official) dictator.

The worlds most ridiculous Dictator. He declared himself Emperor and Issued currency, all while living in a bording house with exactly zero followers. Whatever happened to him?

Oh, no doubt. It's just too bad his empire was more or less dissolved immediately upon his death. He also wanted to interbreed populations and and plant, say, Indians in Greece, Greeks in Persia and Persians in India to solidify the internal cohesion of his empire. I mean, hell, it's like something out of a Frank Herbert novel, and a testament to his foresight (at least, with the assumption that he would remain alive long enough for these things to happen). What's too bad is that he spent so little time creating a worthy successor, but, after all, he was only human.
Indeed.
The worlds most ridiculous Dictator. He declared himself Emperor and Issued currency, all while living in a bording house with exactly zero followers. Whatever happened to him?
He died, in poverty.

....there's just too many to name...

I think im gonna have to go with Alexander the Great, his swathe of carnage laid the groundwork for the Western World we know and love to hate today,lol

But, i really think the best dictator was Emperor Palpatine, even death didnt stop him, lol

I'm partial to Hitler, Napoleon, GK, and Alexander. Might I add Rommel? Gotta love those conquerers!

The worlds most ridiculous Dictator. He declared himself Emperor and Issued currency, all while living in a bording house with exactly zero followers. Whatever happened to him?

Not exactly "zero". His currency was actually honored by shops all over San Francisco, and when he entered theaters he would be greeted by official-sounding fanfares and so on. People loved humoring him, and as Mark Twain pointed out, "He has never actually killed anybody, which is more than most in the monarchy line of business can claim."

I'm a very big fan of Mussolini.

I'm a very big fan of Mussolini.
I'm certainly a big fan of pre-1937 Mussolini. When he started taking on Nazi policy and thought that Autarky was even remotely plausible for Italy things started to go very wrong, very quickly.

It's a disaster! I've either read or own all the discworld books, but I want't more! Or at least one featuring death heavily wich can serve as a conclusion, maybe the aproxolypse finally happening?



How do you think I feel about the Wheel of Time series? Robert Jordan is dead :(

As for dictators, I'm not sure, maybe Mao, the little Angel who killed 50 million people.

Philip II of Macedon. Conquered Greece, invented the practice of marching (thus enabling every other world conqueror in history) and gave us Alexander the Maniac.

Stalin. The vozhd just stands tallest among modern dictators. Not only did he rule for thirty-one years but he managed to do so with no real internal threats to his rule and ended up dying more or less peacefully rather than at the hands of political enemies.

Stalin. The vozhd just stands tallest among modern dictators. Not only did he rule for thirty-one years but he managed to do so with no real internal threats to his rule and ended up dying more or less peacefully rather than at the hands of political enemies.

Comrade Stalin had no political enemies. He killed them all.:D

It's a disaster! I've either read or own all the discworld books, but I want't more!
And more you'll get.

Pratchett's already stuck into a new Discworld novel, and he says there's no indication that he'll have to stop writing anytime soon. In an interview he recently gave on a special radio program discussing his illness, he stated that the type of Alzheimers he has is characterised by (at first) loss of skill-sets, not loss of memory, etc.

In practice, he stated that he'll be writing for quite some time to come, that he's not about to forget who Rincewind is, but that his typing speed is slowing down, etc.

The man is extraordinarily brave; my grandmother had Alzheimers before she died, and it's one thing that truly scares the shit out of me.

I always like the story of Cincinnatus so I think I'll go with him. Or maybe the Athenian Alcibiades, while never really a dictator he was a whole lot of fun. Personally I find Curly and Alexander to be overrated. Admittedly they were great conquerers but there are really so many more intriguing characters from the BCE's.

Comrade Stalin had no political enemies. He killed them all.:D

And that is the mark of a truly feared and insurmountable leader. Stalin left one hell of a legacy that for better or for worse shaped the face of the world for the following half century.

The Immortal God Emperor of Mankind.

And that is the mark of a truly feared and insurmountable leader. Stalin left one hell of a legacy that for better or for worse shaped the face of the world for the following half century.

He left something? Oh, I mean, right. He left something in Russia. Or someone. Somewhere. Maybe. Possibly. Maybe not.:tongue:

Bein' a dictator is nuthin' bro', ya gotcha be gangsta!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSiXLV7XI04

Did you see that E-Thuggin vid? lol... its pretty old but its funny

For anyone who thinks Stalin was a dictator, I suggest you keep an open-mind and have a read of this:
http://clogic.eserver.org/2005/furr.html

I'm a very big fan of Mussolini.

Everything Mussolini ever did was epic failure, hell he outnumbered a French force which had no central leadership, terrible morale, and still got pwned. The Italians had thirty-two divisions and they suffered over 5,000 casualties, the French had six divisions and they lost 8 men. Fail.

In Africa British armored units cut clean through the Italian army and took 300,000 prisoners. Fail.

For anyone who thinks Stalin was a dictator, I suggest you keep an open-mind and have a read of this:
http://clogic.eserver.org/2005/furr.html

A little bit of me died when I read that.

For anyone who thinks Stalin was a dictator, I suggest you keep an open-mind and have a read of this:
http://clogic.eserver.org/2005/furr.html

Thanks for supplying some entertainment for me this evening. It was an interesting read, but I'm not convinced of the arguments. I also admit I won't be taking this any further because I don't want to get into an argument about Joe.

The Immortal God Emperor of Mankind.

By the Emperor, how could I have forgotten this one.


Although arguably, since he's essentially a corpse on life-support and a navigational aide, can he really be described as a dictator? Though I suppose whilst he was still moving I suppose he did reconquer most of the galaxy.

By the Emperor, how could I have forgotten this one.


Although arguably, since he's essentially a corpse on life-support and a navigational aide, can he really be described as a dictator? Though I suppose whilst he was still moving I suppose he did reconquer most of the galaxy.

Psh, Green is Best...Orkses has most of da Galaxy anyway...

By the Emperor, how could I have forgotten this one.


Although arguably, since he's essentially a corpse on life-support and a navigational aide, can he really be described as a dictator? Though I suppose whilst he was still moving I suppose he did reconquer most of the galaxy.

What's actually funny is that during his lifetime (according to the fluff) the Emperor denounced personality cults/religious worship of him, saying all that science was the most important thing and that he was just a man.

It was only after the Emperors 'death' that the High Lords of Terra made the religious worship of him mandatory, and used it to create an oligarchy around themselves. It's even rumored that the Emperor can be revived, but the High Lords of Terra refuse to because it would mean loosing their own authority.

What's actually funny is that during his lifetime (according to the fluff) the Emperor denounced personality cults/religious worship of him, saying all that science was the most important thing and that he was just a man.

It was only after the Emperors 'death' that the High Lords of Terra made the religious worship of him mandatory, and used it to create an oligarchy around themselves. It's even rumored that the Emperor can be revived, but the High Lords of Terra refuse to because it would mean loosing their own authority.

Yup, one of the best kept secrets of the Imperium is that the Emperor was an atheistic scientist who believed in reason and logic above superstition and religion. Ooops

If I remeber my fluff text rightly, they can't revive him (there's really not enough of him left for that) but there's a big faction of the Inquisition which believes that if they take him off life support then he will reincarnate into a new body, more powerful than his previous form. Well that or it will allow Chaos to fully break into our galaxy destroying or corrupting all forms of life. They're not quite sure which.

You've got to love Warhammer 40,000, I think tv tropes but it best by saying the universe it's not just Darker and Edgier, it paints itself black and hurls itself over the edge.