Romancing True Power: D20

February 12-26, 2015

Sheila C. Johnson Design Center
Arnold and Sheila Aronson Galleries
Parsons The New School for Design
66 Fifth Avenue New York

D20 List
Arranged in alphabetical order by continent or
geographical area and country:
Africa, Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Europe, Latin
America, Middle East, Russia, Soviet Union, USA

1. Muammar Gaddafi (c.1942-2011)

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, commonly known as Colonel Gaddafi,
was the leader of Libya from 1969 until his death. In 1977, Gaddafi changed the
official name of Libya to Great Socialist Peoples Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (state of the
masses). His Green Book of political philosophy was a required reading for all
Libyans. Gaddafi served as Chairperson of the African Union from 2009 to 2010.
Known as the Brotherly Leader in the African countries, he was branded The Mad
Dog of Middle East by US President Ronald Reagan.
Born: circa 1942, Qasr Abu Hadi, Libya
Died: October 20, 2011, Sirte, Libya
Cause of death: bullet wounds sustained in a rebel attack
Height: 6 0
Duration of rule: 1969-2011, 42 years
Came to power: a coup dtat against King Idris in 1969
Net worth: $200 billion (2011)
Kill count range: 4,700-25,000
Residence: Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli
GPS Coordinates: 32.871203, 13.173011
Expertise: political and military theories, Islam, literature, fashion
Outfit: military uniform, traditional Arabic bisht, sunglasses, brooch in the shape of
Africa and small billboard of medals
Sports: soccer (his third son Al-Saadi Gaddafi is a former professional soccer player)
Publications: The Green Book (1975), Escape to Hell (1998)
Famous quote:
I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa
and the imam of Muslims. My international status does not allow me to descend to a
lower level.
Said during the 2009 Arab League Summit in Qatar, March 20, 2009

2. Idi Amin Dada (c.1925-2003)

Idi Amin Dada was the third President of Uganda, ruling from 1971 to 1979. Amin
titled himself President of Uganda, His Excellency Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada, and
Conqueror of the British Empire. He created and then awarded himself countless
laurels including the Victorious Cross, the Excellent Order of the Source of the Nile,
the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He
was known as the Butcher of Uganda for his brutal and despotic rule.
Born: circa 1925, Koboko, Uganda
Died: August 16, 2003, in exile in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Cause of death: multiple organ failure
Height: 6 4
Duration of rule: 1971-1979, 8 years
Came to power: a coup dtat against socialist leader Milton Obote in 1971
Kill count range: 80,000-300,000
Residence: Kampala Residence (no GPS Coordinates available)
Expertise: political intrigue, military and warfare, sports
Outfit: military uniform accessorized with medals
Sports: boxing (Ugandan Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1951 to 1960),
swimming, basketball, rugby
Publications: The Middle East Crisis: His Excellency the President Al-Hajji General Idi
Amin Dadas Contribution to the Solution of the Middle East Crisis During the Third
Year of the Second Republic of Uganda (1974)
Famous quote:
Sometimes people mistake the way I talk for what I am thinking. I never had any
formal education not even a nursery school certificate. But sometimes I know more
than Ph.Ds because as a military man I know how to act. I am a man of action.
Cited in General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait (dir. Barbet Schroeder, 1974)

3. Mobutu Sese Seko (1930-1997)

Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (born Joseph-Desir Mobutu) was
the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997. Before
starting his political career, Mobutu was a journalist, writing for the Lopoldville daily
LAvenir. As part of his program of Authenticit (national authenticity), a national
ideology also known as Mobutuism, Mobutu changed the Congos name to Zaire in
1971. He also changed his own name to Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za
Banga, meaning the all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and
inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake.
Born: October 14, 1930, Lisala, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Died: September 7, 1997, in exile in Rabat, Morocco
Cause of death: prostate cancer
Height: 6 1
Duration of rule: 1965-1997, 32 years
Came to power: a 1965 coup dtat
Net worth: $1-$5 billion (1997)
Kill count: estimated at 230,000
Residence: Gbadolite Palace in the rain forest outside of Kinshasa
GPS Coordinates: 4.288421, 21.020081
Expertise: political theories, military, journalism, fashion
Outfit: abacost (button-up jacket), leopard-skin cap and bird-handled ebony cane
Publications: Discours, allocutions et messages 1965-1975 (Discourse, Allocutions,
Messages) (1975)
Famous quote:
If you want to steal, steal a little in a nice way. But if you steal too much to become
rich overnight, youll be caught.
Cited in D.J. Gould, Patrons and Clients: The Role of the Military in Zaire Politics,
in Isaac Mowoe (eds.), The Performance of Soldiers as Governors, 1980

4. Robert Mugabe (b. 1924), with Grace Mugabe (b. 1965)

Robert Gabriel Mugabe has been the President of Zimbabwe since 1987. Mugabe
recently became the new Chairman of the African Union. He is also a man with many
degrees, seven in total, in administration, education, science and law. In 1996,
Mugabe married his former secretary, Grace Marufu. Grace Mugabe is dubbed Gucci
Grace and The First Shopper for her lavish shopping excursions. She was recently
promoted to the head of Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front
(ZANU-PF) womens wing, which is believed to be a sign that she is positioning
herself to succeed her husband.
Born: February 21, 1924 (age 90), Kutama, Zimbabwe
Height: 5 9
Duration of rule: 1980-1987 (as Prime Minister) / 1987-present (as President), 35
years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $3-$10 billion (2013)
Kill count: estimated at 35,000
Residence: Borrowdale Compound in Harare
GPS Coordinates: -17.720129, 31.150727
Expertise: political intrigue, military, economics (farming and land reform, etc.), law
Outfit: suit and tie, colorful election clothes emblazoned with his image
Sports: cricket, tennis
Publications: Our War of Liberation (1983)
Famous quote:
I am still the Hitler of the time. This Hitler has only one objective: justice for his people,
sovereignty for his people, recognition of the independence of his people and their
rights over their resources. If that is Hitler, then let me be Hitler tenfold. Ten times, that
is what we stand for.
Speech at state funeral of a Cabinet minister. Cited in Peta Thornycroft, Hitler
Mugabe launches revenge terror attacks, The Telegraph, March 26, 2003

5. Mao Zedong (1893-1976), with Jiang Qing aka Madame Mao (1914-1991)
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung and commonly referred to as
Chairman Mao, was the founding father of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).
Mao initiated the Great Leap Forward (1958-1960) and Cultural Revolution
(1966-1976), both of which ended with the death of millions. His Little Red Book is
the worlds second most published book after the Bible. Jiang Qing, known as
Madame Mao, was his fourth and last wife. As a former film actress, she played a
major role in the Cultural Revolution as the deputy director of the Central Cultural
Revolution Group. In 1969, she gained a seat in the Politburo, but was imprisoned in
1980 on the charges of usurping power.
Born: December 26, 1893, Shaoshan, China
Died: September 9, 1976, Beijing, China
Cause of death: Parkinsons disease
Height: 5 11
Duration of rule: 1949-1976, 27 years
Came to power: Chinese Civil War (1945-49)
Kill count range: 30-75 million
Residence: Zhongnanhai Compound in Beijing
GPS Coordinates: 39.911834, 116.379048
Expertise: political and military theories, philosophy, poetry, calligraphy, art
Outfit: Mao suit (Zhongshan suit)
Sports: ping-pong, swimming, trekking (The Long March, 1934-36)
Publications: On Guerrilla Warfare (1937), Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung
[sic] (aka The Little Red Book) (1964)
Famous quote:
Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
In the August 7 Conference of the Communist Partys Central Committee, 1927

6a. Kim Jong-un (b. 1983)

Kim Jong-un is the second Supreme Leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of
Korea (DPRK). He is the third son of Kim Jong-il and the grandson of Kim Il-sung.
At the age of 32, he is the first North Korean leader born after the countrys founding
and the worlds youngest head of state. Kim Jong-un has launched several missiles
and nuclear weapons tests since he came to power. Known for indiscriminately
executing relatives and government officials for crimes such as alleged disloyalty or
watching soap opera, he is a target of Hollywood mockery, with his character
appearing in the recent comedy, The Interview (2014).
Born: January 8, 1983 (age 32), Pyongyang, North Korea
Height: 5 9
Duration of rule: 2011-present, 4 years
Came to power: inherited from his father Kim Jong-il
Kill count: estimated at 10,000
Net worth: $5 billion (2013)
Residence: Ryongsong Residence in Pyongyang (perpetuated his fathers and
grandfathers estate)
GPS Coordinates: 39.116340, 125.806174
Expertise: political intrigue, military, nuclear weapons, technology
Outfit: four-pocket jacket, trimmed haircut
Sports: basketball (BFF of Dennis Rodman), skiing, horse-riding
Famous quote:
The days are gone forever when our enemies could blackmail us with nuclear
bombs ... Yesterday, we were a weak and small country trampled upon by big powers.
Today, our geopolitical location remains the same, but we are transformed into a
proud political and military power and an independent people that no one can dare
provoke.
Speech on the 100th birthday of Kim Il-sung, cited in Choe Sang-Hun, North
Korean Leader Stresses Need for Strong Military, The New York Times, April 15,
2012
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6b. Kim Jong-il (1941-2011)

Kim Jong-il was the Supreme Leader of the DPRK from 1994 until his death. The
most common colloquial title given to him was The Dear Leader, to distinguish him
from his father Kim Il-sung, The Great Leader. He was widely blamed for the
nation-wide famine of the 1990s. According to his official biography, he was a man of
all traits: a prolific writer (1,500 books over three years), an architect, a film theorist,
film collector, screenwriter, director, producer, and cameraman.
Born: February 16, 1941, Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, USSR
Died: December 17, 2011, Pyongyang, North Korea
Cause of death: heart attack
Height: 5 3
Duration of rule: 1994-2011, 16 years
Came to power: inherited from his father Kim Il-sung
Kill count range: 500,000-600,000
Net worth: $4 billion (2011)
Residence: Ryongsong Residence in Pyongyang (perpetuated his fathers estate)
GPS Coordinates: 39.116340, 125.806174
Expertise: political intrigue, military, economics, art, architecture, journalism,
technology
Outfit: military suit, four-pocket jacket, sun glasses, fur hat
Sports: bowling, golf (according to state news, in his first ever round of golf, he shot 11
holes-in-one, and bowled a perfect 300 in his first attempt in a bowling match)
Publications: On The Art of Cinema (1973), On The Art of Opera (1974), The Great
Teacher of Journalists (1983), The Cinema and Directing (1987)
Famous quote:
I am the object of criticism around the world. But I think that since I am being
discussed, then I am on the right track.
Conversation with Konstantin Pulikovsky in 2001, cited in Konstantin Pulikovsky,
Orient Express, 2002

6c. Kim Il-sung (1912-1994)

Kim Il-sung (born Kim Sng-ju) was the architect of DPRK. He is known as The Great
Leader in North Korea and is designated in the North Korean constitution as the
countrys Eternal President. In 1950, Kim Il-sung authorized the invasion of South
Korea, triggering the three-year long Korean War. From the mid-1960s, he promoted
his Juche (Kim Il-sungism) variant of communism, which gradually replaced
MarxismLeninism as the ideology of the state. As the founding father of the Kim
Dynasty, Kim Il-sung spawned the familys cult of personality.
Born: April 15, 1912, Pyongyang, North Korea
Died: July 8, 1994, Pyongyang, North Korea
Cause of death: natural causes
Height: 5 6
Duration of rule: 1948-1994, 46 years
Came to power: installed by the Soviet Union
Kill count range: 852,000-1 million
Residence: Ryongsong Residence in Pyongyang
GPS Coordinates: 39.116340, 125.806174
Expertise: political and military theories, warfare, economics, nuclear weapons
Outfit: military suit, four-pocket jacket, glasses
Publications: On Juche in Our Revolution (1975), With the Century (1993)
Famous quote:
My God is none other than the people. Only the popular masses are omniscient and
omnipotent and almighty on earth. Therefore my lifetime motto is: The people are my
God.
Comment to Cheondoist independence activist Kim In Jin in 1936, cited in Kims
autobiography With the Century, 1993

7. Saparmurat Niyazov (1940-2006)

Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov was the first President of Turkmenistan. He was First
Secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party from 1985 until 1991 and continued to
lead Turkmenistan for 15 years after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Niyazov insisted that his citizens refer to him as Turkmenbashi the Great (Father of
the Turkmen) and the President for Life. He also titled himself the Hero of
Turkmenistan six times. Niyazov ordered the erection of numerous monuments in his
honor, including a $12 million gold statue of himself and an enormous mechanical
statue of his book Ruhnama in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat.
Born: February 19, 1940, Gypjak, Turkmenistan, USSR
Died: December 21, 2006, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Cause of death: heart attack
Height: 5 6
Duration of rule: 1985-2006, 21 years
Came to power: succeeded Muhammetnazar Gapurov as the First Secretary of the
Communist Party and elected the President after the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Net worth: $3 billion (2006)
Kill count range: 4,000-16,000 (imprisonment of political prisoners)
Residence: Oguzkhan Palace in Ashgabat
GPS Coordinates: 37.934254, 58.380778
Expertise: political intrigue, electrical engineering, Islam, poetry, philosophy
Outfit: suit and tie, gold watch
Publications: Ruhnama (The Book of the Soul) (2001)
Famous quote:
Im personally against seeing my pictures and statues in the streets but its what the
people want.
Cited in Tom Parfitt, Bizarre, brutal and self-obsessed. Now times up for
Turkmenistans dictator, The Guardian, December 21, 2006

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8. Nicolae Ceauescu (1918-1989), with Elena Ceauescu (1916-1989)

Nicolae Ceauescu was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from
1965 to 1989. He was also the countrys head of state from 1967 to 1989. Ceauescu
caused food shortages by forcing the export of most of the countrys agricultural
products in the 1980s. The resulting unrest led to the collapse of Ceauescus regime
and his execution in 1989. His wife Elena Ceauescu was a chemist prior to pursing
her political career, later being named Deputy Prime Minister of Romania from
1980-1989 and developing her own cult of personality.
Born: January 26, 1918, Scorniceti, Romania
Died: December 25, 1989, in execution in Trgovite, Romania
Cause of death: public execution, together with his wife was shot by a firing squad
Height: 5 6
Duration of rule: 1965-1989, 24 years
Came to power: after the death of communist leader Gheorghiu-Dej
Kill count range: 246,100-921,100
Residence: Peoples House (the Peoples Palace) in Bucharest
GPS Coordinates: 44.469099, 26.092551
Expertise: political theories, economics, art collecting, shoemaking
Outfit: suit and tie, fur hat
Publications: Drepturile Omului in Lumea Contemporana (Human Rights in the
Contemporary World) (1984)
Famous quote:
It is a lie that I made the people starve. A lie, a lie in my face. This shows how little
patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed ... I guaranteed
that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. I have done everything to
create a decent and rich life for the people in the country, like in no other country in the
world.
Statement at the trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu, December 25, 1989

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9. Alexander Lukashenko (b. 1954)

Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko has served as the President of Belarus since
1994, ostensibly elected to four terms in office. Lukashenko is famously dubbed
Europes Last Dictator. Before his career as a politician, he worked as director of a
state-owned agricultural farm and served with the Soviet Border Troops in the Soviet
Army. According to a recent survey by the Independent Institute for Socio-Economic
and Political Studies, despite harassment of opponents and state centralization of
most industries, businesses and institutions, the popularity of Lukashenko has
increased since the start of the current Ukrainian crisis as voters show their
appreciation for stability in their country.
Born: August 30, 1954 (age 60), Kopys, Belarus, USSR
Height: 6 2
Duration of rule: 1994-present, 21 years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $9 billion (2010)
Kill count range: 11-65 (arrest and exile of high-level opposition figures, protestors
and journalists)
Residence: Palace of Independence in Minsk
GPS Coordinates: 53.927289, 27.524195
Expertise: political intrigue, military, economics, sports
Outfit: suit and tie, military uniform
Sports: ice hockey, rollerblading, skiing
Publications: Belarus Tomorrow (1998)
Famous quote:
They tell me: you are a dictator. Am I a dictator? My position and the state will never
allow me to become a dictator But an authoritarian style of rule is characteristic of
me, and I have always admitted it. Why? We could spend hours talking about this.
You need to control the country, and the main thing is not to ruin peoples lives.
Cited in President Lukashenko: in quotes, BBC, July 10, 2004

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10a. Slobodan Miloevi (1941-2006), with Mira Markovi aka Mrs. Miloevi (b.
1942)
Slobodan Miloevi, aka Sloba, was the President of Serbia from 1989 to 1997 and
President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000. According to
authors Dusan Bjeli and Lucinda Cole, in Serbian, his last name Milo means dear,
and evi means fuc*ing (See, Isidora Bjelica, ed., Self-Portrait with Men, 2002).
He was indicted for crimes against humanity, standing trial at the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia until his death. His wife Mira Markovi
was Founder and President of the Yugoslav United Left party, and was the
mastermind of her husbands dicktatorship. Today she lives in Russia.
Born: August 20, 1941, Poarevac, Serbia
Died: March 11, 2006, in prison in The Hague, Netherlands
Cause of death: heart attack
Height: 6 1
Duration of rule: 1989-2000, 11 years
Came to power: a referendum-type election in 1989
Net worth: $10 billion (2002)
Kill count range: 107,500-112,000
Residence: The White Palace (Beli dvor) in Belgrade
GPS Coordinates: 44.765613, 20.453361
Expertise: political intrigue, warfare, economics, law
Outfit: suit and tie
Publications: Godine raspleta (Years of Solution) (1989)
Famous quote: Borders are always dictated by the strong, never by the weak. We
simply consider it as a legitimate right and interest of the Serb nation to live in one
state. If we have to fight, by God we are going to fight. If we do not know how to work
properly or run an economy, at least we know how to fight properly.
Remarks at a meeting with Serb leaders on March 16, 1991, cited in Dusko Doder
and Louise Branson Branson, Milosevic: Portrait of a Tyrant, 1999

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10b. Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980)

Josip Broz Tito (born Josip Broz) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and a statesman. He
was Secretary-General and later President of the League of Communists
(Communist Party) of Yugoslavia (193980); Supreme Commander of the Yugoslav
Partisans (194145) and the Yugoslav Peoples Army (194580); and Marshal
(194380), Premier (194553), and President (195380) of Yugoslavia. Tito was the
first Communist leader in power to defy Soviet hegemony. He became an advocate of
the non-alignment policy between Western and Soviet blocs in the Cold War. His
funeral is regarded one of the largest state funerals in the world 128 state
representatives and foreign leaders were in attendance.
Born: May 7, 1892, Kumrovec, Croatia
Died: May 4, 1980, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Cause of death: gangrene
Height: 5 7
Duration of rule: 1944-1980, 36 years
Came to power: after realignment of Europe in World War II
Kill count: estimated at 570,000
Residence: The White Villa on Brijuni Island, Croatia
GPS Coordinates: 44.910282, 13.755838
Expertise: political and military theories, economics, art collecting, photography
Outfit: military uniform, suit and tie, (sun)glasses
Sports: swimming, hunting
Publications: Yugoslavias Foreign Policy (1946), The Essential Tito (1970)
Famous quote:
Any movement in history which attempts to perpetuate itself, becomes reactionary.
In conversation with Vlado Dedijer and George Seldes, cited in George Seldes,
Great Thoughts, Revised and Updated, 1985

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11. Viktor Orbn (b. 1963)

Viktor Mihly Orbn is Prime Minister of Hungary and President of the national
conservative ruling party Fidesz. Orbn has been Prime Minister with a two-third
majority of seats in the Hungarian Parliament, which his party received both in the
2010 and the 2014 elections. His premiership has been criticized at home and abroad
for deterioration in governance, electoral process, media freedom, civil society, and
corruption. Orbn was a professional soccer player on Felcst FC in his youth; he
recently built a private stadium in his home town of Felcst.
Born: May 31, 1963 (age 51), Alcstdoboz, Hungary
Height: 5 8
Duration of rule: 1998-2000 / 2010-present, 7 years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $215 million (2014)
Kill count: nationalization of power media and tobacco industries, metal recycling
operations, private pension funds, rewriting constitution, imposing fines on journalists
who the state considers unbalanced
Residence: family residence at Cinege t 5, Budapest
GPS Coordinates: 47.510472, 18.981251
Expertise: political intrigue, law, economics
Outfit: suit and tie
Sports: soccer (he also appears in the 2006 release of the Football Manager series of
soccer management simulation games)
Famous quote:
Understanding [political] systems that are not Western, not liberal, not liberal
democracies and in some cases probably not even democracies, but are still making
nations a success is a top issue these days. Today the stars in international
analyses ... Singapore, China, India, Russia, Turkey.
Speech at the Tusvnyos Summer University in Tusndfrd, Romania, July 26,
2014

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12. Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was the Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990.
She was the longest-serving UK Prime Minister and the only woman to have held that
office. A Soviet journalist once called her the Iron Lady, a nickname that became
associated with her firm-hand leadership style. Branded Thatcherism, her policies
included an extreme form of laissez-faire brand of free market economics including
tax cuts for the wealthy. Following a slew of economic problems, by 1990 her approval
rating had plummeted to 20%, the lowest in UK history.
Born: October 13, 1925, Grantham, UK
Died: April 8, 2013, London, UK
Cause of death: stroke
Height: 5 5
Duration of rule: 1979-1990, 11 years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $16 million (2013)
Kill count range: estimated at 910 (Irish Hunger Strikes in 1981, Falkland War in 1982);
over 3 million unemployed due to privatization of UKs state-owned organizations
Residence: 10 Downing Street (her private Chester Square residence in London is
now for sale at 35 million). 1
GPS Coordinates: 51.503376, -0.127522
Expertise: politics, economics, military and warfare, education, chemistry, fashion
Outfit: tailored skirt suit, strings of pearls, brooch, leather handbag
Publications: The Downing Street Years (1993), The Path to Power (1995)
Famous quote: True power is like being a lady ... if you have to tell people you are,
you arent.
Speech to the National Union of Townswomens Guilds Conference, May 20, 1965

Margaret Thatcher was the longest-serving UK Prime Minister, therefore we chose 10 Downing Street, official
British PM residence, as her power palace for the exhibition.

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13. Silvio Berlusconi (b. 1936)

Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian media tycoon and popular politician who was elected
three times as Prime Minister of Italy, despite proven instances of illegal wiretapping,
sex with underage girls, and bribery. Berlusconi was the longest serving post-World
War II Italian Prime Minister. He resigned from his position in 2011 and was expelled
from the Senate in 2013. According to Forbes in 2014, Berlusconi is ranked the sixth
richest person in Italy. While accumulating his wealth, Berlusconi left the countrys
economy in dire straits. According to The Economist, between 2000 and 2010 under
Berlusconis second and third term, Italys average GDP growth was merely 0.25% a
year, barely above the bottommost countries Zimbabwe and Haiti.
Born: September 29, 1936 (age 78), Milan, Italy
Height: 5 5
Duration of rule: 1994-1995 / 2001-2006 / 2008-2011, 9 years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $7.2 billion (2014)
Kill count: centralization of media (control 90% of Italian, etc.), fines and 10 cases of
imprisonment of journalists for defamation, oppression of press freedom
Residence: Villa San Martino in Arcore, Lombardia
GPS Coordinates: 45.626447, 9.316955
Expertise: political intrigue, economics, media, sports, sex, partying, comedy
Outfit: suit and tie
Sports: soccer (owner of the Italian soccer club AC Milan since 1986)
Publications: LItalia Che Ho in Mente (The Italy I Have in Mind) (2000)
Famous quote:
I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I sacrifice myself for everyone.
Speech at the launch of 2006 campaign, cited in Berlusconi in his own words,
BBC, May 2, 2006

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14. Juan Pern (1895-1974), with Evita Pern (1919-1952)

Juan Domingo Pern was elected President of Argentina three times. He served from
June 1946 to September 1955, taking a hiatus after being deposed in a coup dtat,
and then in 1973 returned as head of state for one year. During his first Presidential
term, Pern was supported by his second wife, a former actress, Eva Duarte (Evita).
The two were immensely popular among many Argentines, even though Peron
restricted constitutional liberties, suppressed the opposition, and nationalized public
services. Evita Pern founded and ran the nations major political Female Peronist
Party, and nearly became Argentinas Vice President. After she died in 1952 Peron
remarried; his third wife, Mara Estela Martnez aka Isabel Pern, was elected Vice
President, succeeding him as President upon his death.
Born: October 8, 1895, Lobos, Argentina
Died: July 1, 1974, Olivos, Argentina
Cause of death: heart attack
Height: 5 10
Duration of rule: 1946-1955 / 1973-1974, 10 years
Came to power: elections
Kill count range: over 1,500 laid-off university faculty who opposed to Perns
regime; some universities were closed for years; support for fascist leaders who fled
Argentina after World War II
Residence: Casa Rosada (The Pink House) in Buenos Aires
GPS Coordinates: -34.607720, -58.370171
Expertise: political intrigue, military, economics, sports
Outfit: military uniform, suit and tie
Sports: fencing, boxing, skiing
Publications: La Hora de los Pueblos (The Hour of the People) (1968)
Famous quote: Everything for a friend, not even justice for an enemy.
Cited in Klaus Friedrich Veigel, Dictatorship, Democracy, and Globalization:
Argentina and the Cost of Paralysis, 1973-2001, 2009

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15. Fidel Castro (b. 1926)

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz served as Prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976,
President from 1976 to 2008, and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
from 1961 until 2011. Castro led the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which ousted President
Fulgencio Batista. He then created the first communist state in the western
hemisphere. Based on an agreement with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev (D20
third-tier runner up), Castro allowed the Soviets to place nuclear missiles in Cuba,
leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 during the Cold War. Due to failing health,
in 2006, Castro transferred his responsibilities to his younger brother Ral, who
formally assumed Cuban presidency in 2008.
Born: August 13, 1926 (age 88), Birn, Cuba
Height: 6 3
Duration of rule: 1959-2008, 49 years
Came to power: the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959)
Net worth: $900 million (2006) (disputed)
Kill count range: 35,000-65,000
Residence: Havana Compound
GPS Coordinates: 23.080633, -82.485488
Expertise: political and military theories, law, economics, literature
Outfit: military suit, military cap, polyester jogging suit
Sports: basketball, swimming
Publications: History Will Absolve Me (1953), My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
(conversations with Ignacio Ramonet) (2006)
Famous quote:
I am not a dictator, and I do not think I will become one. I will not maintain power with
a machine gun.
Interview with Ruth Lloyd in January 1959, cited in I Wont Be a Dictator, The
Spokesman-Review, May 24, 1959

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16a. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (b. 1956)

In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former engineering professor, won the
presidential election with 62% of the electorate, becoming the sixth President of Iran.
He then served another term through 2013. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei formally endorsed Ahmadinejads hardline presidency. Ahmadinejads
policies were riddled with nationalism and anti-West themes. He was an outspoken
supporter of Irans nuclear program and insisted that it was for peaceful purposes.
Ahmadinejad openly called the Holocaust a myth, and appealed to put an end to
Israels Zionist regime. He banned western films, books, music, and clothing, and
even outlawed Valentines Day gifts. More recently, Ahmadinejad launched his official
website Ahmadinejad.ir, signaling a possible political comeback.
Born: October 28, 1956 (age 58), Aradan, Iran
Height: 5 2
Duration of rule: 2005-2013, 8 years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $5 million (2013)
Kill count: 40 newspapers and other publications shutdown from 2009 to 2012
Residence: Sadabad Palace in Tehran
GPS Coordinates: 35.817239, 51.423719
Expertise: political repression, economics, nuclear power, Islam, engineering
Outfit: Members Only jacket, suit
Famous quote:
Some segments within the US government orchestrated the attack [on 9/11] to
reverse the declining American economy and its grips on the Middle East in order also
to save the Zionist regime. The majority of the American people as well as other
nations and politicians agree with this view.
Speech at the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 13,
2010

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16b. Ali Khamenei (b. 1939)

Ali Hosseini Khamenei is the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran and a Shia
Cleric. He had also served as president of Iran from 1981 to 1989 and guided the
military during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88). Khamenei has controlled the main levers
of state the courts, military, and media since 1989. As the head of state, he is
unwilling to compromise. Domestically, Khamenei presides over the population, and
instituted a brutal quashing the 2009 Green Revolution. Internationally, he has
maintained both the US and Israel as enemies. Although Khamenei enjoys a
reputation for moderation and humility, a 2013 Reuters investigation revealed that he
controls a $95 billion business empire.
Born: July 17, 1939 (age 75), Mashhad, Iran
Height: 5 7
Duration of rule: 1981-1989 (as President) / 1989-present, (as Supreme Leader), 34
years
Came to power: elections, succeeded Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989
Net worth: $95 billion (2013) (disputed)
Kill count range: 51,400-140,000 (combined with Ruhollah Khomeini)
Residence: Niavaran Palace in Tehran
GPS Coordinates: 35.811803, 51.473315
Expertise: politics, military, Islam, philosophy, language, literature
Outfit: qabaa (cloak) and turban, Basiji (militia) outfit (during his early days)
Publications: Iqbal: Manifestation of the Islamic Spirit (1991)
Famous quote:
Today, America poses a threat to peace and security in the world ... Today, you see
throughout the world people setting fire to the effigy of the American president and
chanting the slogan Death to America. This is because of the American regimes
exaggerated demands, its arrogance, its vanity, and its desire to control, and because
it is a pawn in the hands of the Zionists.
Speech on Channel 1, Iranian TV, March 21, 2006

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16c. Ruhollah Khomeini (1901-1989)

Ruhollah Mostafavi Moosavi Khomeini, often referred as Imam Khomeini or Ayatollah
Khomeini, was the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which saw the overthrow of
the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Following the Revolution, Khomeini
declared Iran an Islamic Republic and became the countrys first Supreme Leader, a
position embedded in the constitution as the highest-ranking political and religious
authority of the nation. By issuing strict dress codes and forbidding all non-religious
music, Khomeini planted seeds of anti-Americanism. He had supported the
hostage-takers during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis and had called the US the Great
Satan. In 1988, he ordered the execution of thousands of political prisoners.
Born: September 24, 1902, Khomeyn, Iran
Died: June 3, 1989, Tehran, Iran
Cause of death: heart attack
Height: 5 9
Duration of rule: 1979-1989, 10 years
Came to power: Iranian Revolution of 1979
Kill count range: 51,400-140,000 (combined with Ali Khamenei)
Residence: Ayatollah Khomeinis House in Jamaran, Tehran
GPS Coordinates: 35.817599, 51.457768
Expertise: political theories, military, Islam, philosophy, literature, economics
Outfit: qabaa (cloak) and turban
Publications: Tahrir Al-Wasilah (Means of Salvation) (1965), Islamic Government
(1979)
Famous quote:
When anyone studies a little or pays a little attention to the rules of Islamic
government, Islamic politics, Islamic society and Islamic economy he will realize that
Islam is a very political religion. Anyone who will say that religion is separate from
politics is a fool; he does not know Islam or politics.
Ruhollah Khomeini, Tahrir Al-Wasilah (Means of Salvation), 1965

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17. Saddam Hussein (1937-2006)

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq. When he was
young, Saddam studied the lives of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin: his library was
filled with books on Stalin. During his leadership, Hussein had led many wars,
including the invasions of Iran (1980) and Kuwait (1990). In 2003, a US-led coalition
invaded Iraq to depose Hussein, accusing him of possessing weapons of mass
destruction and having ties to Al-Qaeda. Although no proof of these particular
offences was ever found, in 2006 Saddam was convicted of crimes against humanity
and sentenced to death.
Born: April 28, 1937, Al-Awja, Iraq
Died: December 30, 2006, Kadhimiya, Iraq
Cause of death: capital punishment by hanging
Height: 6 2
Duration of rule: 1979-2003, 24 years
Came to power: forced resignation of predecessor President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr
Net worth: $2 billion (2003)
Kill count range: 995,000-1.075 million
Residence: Radwaniyah Palace in Baghdad
GPS Coordinates: 33.250493, 44.268885
Expertise: political repression, military and warfare, chemical weapons, architecture,
writing
Outfit: military uniform, military beret
Publications: The Fortified Castle (2001), Zabibah and the King (2010)
Famous quote: I know that there are scores of people plotting to kill me, and this is
not difficult to understand. After all, did we not seize power by plotting against our
predecessors? However, I am far cleverer than they are. I know they are conspiring to
kill me long before they actually start planning to do it. This enables me to get them
before they have the faintest chance of striking at me.
Cited in Efraim Karsh, Inari Rautsi, Saddam Hussein: A Political Biography, 2002

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18. Recep Tayyip Erdoan

Recep Tayyip Erdoan is the 12th and current President of Turkey. From 1994 to
1998, he was Mayor of Istanbul, and from 2003 to 2014, he served as Turkeys 36th
Prime Minister. Human Rights Watch warned in a recent report that Turkey has
undergone a rollback in human rights advances under Erdoans leadership over the
last decade. He has shown zero tolerance for political opposition, public protest, and
critical media; he instigated a successful crack down on mass protests in 2013-14 and,
shortly thereafter, in the 2014 presidential race, won Turkeys first direct elections with
51.79% of the vote. He recently unveiled his new presidential palace, the worlds
largest (and perhaps most grandiose), costing $350 million.
Born: February 26, 1954 (age 60), Kasmpaa, Turkey
Height: 6 0
Duration of rule: 2003-2014 (as Prime Minister) / 2014-present (as President), 12
years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $2 billion (2013)
Kill count: violent crackdown on protesters, imprisonment of political opponents and
journalists, restrictions on social media, ban on piercings and tattoos as expressions
of ones personality
Residence: Ak Saray (The White Palace) in Ankara
GPS Coordinates: 39.930452, 32.797484
Expertise: political intrigue, military, Islam, economics, sports
Outfit: suit and tie
Sports: soccer (he played semi-professional soccer at a local club in Kasmpaa
before starting his political career)
Famous quote:
Democracy is like a train that takes you to your destination, and then you get off.
Cited in Gregory Viscusi et al., Arabs Battling Regimes See Erdogans Muslim
Democracy as Model, Bloomberg, February 4, 2011

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19a. Vladimir Putin (b. 1952)

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has been President of Russia twice, from 2000 to 2008
and now since 2012. Putin served as Prime Minister in the interim, yet remaining the
de facto head of state. Although originally his strong-hand rule brought prosperity to
Russia (until 2008, GDP was growing at 7-8% annually), in recent years Putin, former
KGB operative, has turned more authoritarian, stifling press and oppressing civil
society, all leading to last years annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine
against all international norms. His decisive actions make him immensely popular
with the Russians. His influence in world affairs was also recognized by TIME as
runner up for Person of the Year in 2008 and 2014.
Born: October 7, 1952 (age 62), Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia,
Height: 5 6
Duration of rule: 2000-2008 (as President) / 2008-2012 (as Prime Minister) /
2012-present (as President), 15 years
Came to power: appointed by President Boris Yeltsin and elections
Net worth: $70 billion (2013)
Kill count range: 130-169 journalists killed; 10-70 dissidents imprisoned; investigation
of 1,000 NGOs, shutdown of many NGOs as foreign agents
Residence: Putins palace on the Black Sea coast (and other real estate)
GPS Coordinates: 44.419383, 38.205136 (Putins palace on the Black Sea coast)
Expertise: political intrigue, military, history, law, intelligence, sports, animal rescue
Outfit: suit and tie, sometimes half naked
Publications: Judo: History, Theory, Practice (co-authored with Vasilii Shestakov,
Alexey Levitsky) (2004)
Sports: martial arts (judo and sambo), ice hockey, skiing, swimming
Famous quote: I consider it to be my sacred duty to unify the people of Russia, to
rally citizens around clear aims and tasks, and to remember every day and every
minute that we have one Motherland, one people and one future.
Cited in Putins biography on his presidential website, eng.kremlin.ru

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19b. Joseph Stalin (1878-1953)

Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin, born Dzhugashvili, was the General Secretary of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Unions Central Committee from 1922 until his death in
1953. In his 30s he took the name Stalin, from the Russian for man of steel. After
Vladimir Lenins death in 1924, Stalin promoted himself as his political heir. He forced
rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agricultural land, resulting in the
death of millions from famine while others were sent to labor camps (the Gulag).
Under his leadership, the Soviet Army was the major force in defeating Nazi Germany
in World War II. Stalins ruling philosophy has influenced and inspired numerous
autocrats.
Born: December 18, 1878, Gori, Georgia, Russian Empire
Died: March 5, 1953, Kuntsevo Dacha, outside of Moscow
Cause of death: cerebral hemorrhage
Height: 5 5
Duration of rule: 1922-1952, 30 years
Came to power: formally after the death of Vladimir Lenin
Kill count range: 20-60 million
Residence: Kuntsevo Dacha
GPS Coordinates: 55.724509, 37.485571
Expertise: political and military theories, warfare, planned economy, forced labor, arts
Outfit: military suit
Publications: Dialectical and Historical Materialism (1938), The Essential Stalin: Major
Theoretical Writings: 1905-52 (1972)
Famous quote:
I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is
extraordinarily important is this who will count the votes, and how.
Cited in Boris Bazhanov, The Memoirs of Stalins Former Secretary, 1992

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20a. Dick Cheney (b. 1941)

Richard Bruce Cheney was the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to
2009, under President George W. Bush. In 1989, he served as Secretary of Defense
during George H.W. Bushs presidency. From 1995-2000, Cheney was the Chairman
and CEO of Halliburton Company. In 2000, he was appointed to chair the younger
Bushs vice presidential search committee, but chose himself as a candidate. During
his two terms, Cheney initiated two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of a larger
War on Terror, and engineered domestic surveillance program of the National
Security Agency (NSA). He is considered the most powerful Vice President in
American history.
Born: January 30, 1941 (age 73), Lincoln, NE, USA
Height: 5 8
Duration of rule: 2001-2009, 8 years
Came to power: elected with President George W. Bush
Net worth: $90 billion (2013)
Kill count range: 219,000-636,000 (US troops and Afghan and Iraq civilians)
Residence: family house in Wilson, WY (and undisclosed location in St. Michaels,
MD)
GPS Coordinates: 43.527808, -110.846897 (family house in Wilson)
Expertise: political manipulation, military and warfare, national security, business
Outfit: suit and tie, fleece jacket, cowboy hat
Publications: In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir (co-authored with daughter
Liz Cheney) (2011), Heart: An American Medical Odyssey (co-authored with
cardiologist Jonathan Reiner and Liz Cheney) (2013)
Sports: hunting, fly-fishing
Famous quote: I did what I did. Its all on the public record, and I feel very good about
it. If I had to do it over again, I'd do it in a minute.
Cited in The World According to Dick Cheney (dir. Greg Finton, R.J. Cutler, 2
013)

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20b. Richard Nixon (1913-1994)

Richard Milhous Nixon, also known as Tricky Dick, was USAs 37th President,
serving from 1969 to 1974. Nixon had previously served as a US Representative and
Senator from California, and as the 36th Vice President from 1953 to 1961. After
losing the 20-year American war in Vietnam and improving international relations with
USSR and China, he became the only President to ever resign from office; his
resignation was a result of the eavesdropping Watergate scandal. He was later issued
a pardon by his successor, Gerald Ford. Once out of office, Nixon made it his personal
mission to redeem his reputation, penning several books, visiting foreign countries
and advising Presidents on foreign policy. Nixon made Gallups list of the worlds 10
most admired men 20 times, even with his tainted reputation.
Born: January 9, 1913, Yorba Linda, CA
Died: April 22, 1994, New York City, NY
Cause of death: stroke
Height: 5 11
Duration of rule: 1969-1974, 5 years
Came to power: elections
Net worth: $15 million (1994)
Kill count range: 71,000-171,000 (US troops and civilians on Indochina Peninsula in
Southeast Asia)
Residence: La Casa Pacifica (The Western White House) in San Clemente, CA
GPS Coordinates: 33.390989,-117.597081
Expertise: political intrigue, military and warfare, surveillance, law, literature, music,
debate
Outfit: suit and tie
Sports: football (He played on the Whittier College football team)
Publications: RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon (1978), Leaders (1982)
Famous quote: The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of peacemaker.
Nixons Inaugural Address, January 20, 1969

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