Okay, I was reading a blurb about some whack job building a tribute to Hitler and a professor said that Hitler ws the most evil man of the 20th Century. My question is, "Who was/is the most evil human being of the last 100 years?"
For me it is a tossup up between Hilter and Stalin with Mao a close third.
As of 2/28/05: 101 pounds since December 7, 2004 OFFICIAL THREE-MONTH COUNT: 112 pounds on March 9, 2005 OFFICIAL SIX-MONTH COUNT: 142 pounds on June 8, 2005 OFFICIAL ONE YEAR COUNT: 187 pounds on December 7, 2005 As of 2/27/06: 202 pounds "I've lost a heavyweight" As of 5/24/06: 216 pounds
You GOTTA start making your thread titles be actual QUESTIONS. You're flaunting my rules! *I* AM THE MOST EVIL!
I'd put forward Idi Amin 'cause lots of people were racists, killers, despots, dictators... but when you add CANNIBALISM, that really kicks it up a notch. (Granted, it was only rumoured and never proven, but it does seem in line with all the other crazy shit he did.)
Since Hitler is to easy, I'll go with the man who elevated him to power: Fritz Von Papen. If Von Papen wasn't so insecure and unable to recognize the political fortunes of the Nazi party was beginning to wane, Hitler in all likelihood fades into history as a crackpot who came close to power but never achieved it and/or gets killed by a political rival, and would only be noticed as a footnote in rarely read dissertations on the time period. Instead, Von Papen puts Hitler in power thinking he can control him, he obviously fails, and all hell breaks loose. Honorable mention to my good friends, the House of Saud, who can all hang from the old oak tree. And Harry Frazee for screwing up the Red Sox for 86 years.
Originally posted by CRZYou GOTTA start making your thread titles be actual QUESTIONS. You're flaunting my rules! *I* AM THE MOST EVIL!
I'd put forward Idi Amin 'cause lots of people were racists, killers, despots, dictators... but when you add CANNIBALISM, that really kicks it up a notch. (Granted, it was only rumoured and never proven, but it does seem in line with all the other crazy shit he did.)
Idi Amin's cannibalism is bad, but not as bad as his Jazz Flute playing. I'm 100% serious on this one. He's made a few records.
This is right on the cusp of your "last 100 years" criteria, but King Leopold II of Belgium fits the bill.
(edited by NickBockwinkelFan on 15.6.06 2230) "Well, you can't involve friendship with business. It has to be one or the other. It's either business or friendship, or hit the bricks!" --Life Lessons from Bobby the Brain Heenan WCW Uncensored 2000 preview
Generalissimo Takada's Energy Beverage Provides Maximum Nourishment!
Originally posted by DrDirtOkay, I was reading a blurb about some whack job building a tribute to Hitler and a professor said that Hitler ws the most evil man of the 20th Century. My question is, "Who was/is the most evil human being of the last 100 years?"
For me it is a tossup up between Hilter and Stalin with Mao a close third.
This is where my history background always gets me in trouble. I firmly believe that Hitler wasn't evil _ he was insane. I honestly think that he was so disconnected with reality that he had no concept of right and wrong. Obviously that doesn't even begin to justify what he did, but like I said, I think the guy was too loco to even realize what he was doing.
So, having said that, I'd have to say my definition of evil is "knows what he/she is doing is wrong, but does it anyway because they just don't care." With that as the benchmark, Stalin, Pol Pot and Idi Amin are all contenders, but I'll throw in another name from World War II: Emperor Hirohito. What the Japanese did to the Chinese during WWII makes the Holocaust look like a pillow fight.
For me, it's in someone like Josef Mengele where the real horror of humanity lies. He pretty much tops my list.
"Those of you who think you know everything are annoying to those of us who do." David Brent, The Office
"Oedipus ruined a great sex life by asking too many questions." Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report
"Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again." Unknown, Marin County newspaper's TV listing for "The Wizard of Oz"
Originally posted by OliverHonestly: Paul Bernardo.
Then I'll have to throw Karla Homolka's name out there to. From reading all the books about the case, I personally feel that she was the one that killed Leslie and Kristen while Paul was out of the house.
For anyone who don't know what the hell were talking about:
Originally posted by DrDirtOkay, I was reading a blurb about some whack job building a tribute to Hitler and a professor said that Hitler ws the most evil man of the 20th Century. My question is, "Who was/is the most evil human being of the last 100 years?"
For me it is a tossup up between Hilter and Stalin with Mao a close third.
This is where my history background always gets me in trouble. I firmly believe that Hitler wasn't evil _ he was insane. I honestly think that he was so disconnected with reality that he had no concept of right and wrong. Obviously that doesn't even begin to justify what he did, but like I said, I think the guy was too loco to even realize what he was doing.
So, having said that, I'd have to say my definition of evil is "knows what he/she is doing is wrong, but does it anyway because they just don't care." With that as the benchmark, Stalin, Pol Pot and Idi Amin are all contenders, but I'll throw in another name from World War II: Emperor Hirohito. What the Japanese did to the Chinese during WWII makes the Holocaust look like a pillow fight.
Unfortunately, Hitler's views were not uncommon, just carried out in an extreme way. His views came from others in Austria nd Germany. Was he nuts, probably but I would argue the others you cite are also except Hirohito. Nobody sane does what these pieces of excrement did.
Redsoxnation, good point but if you cite him can you leave out Britain and France who could have stopped this clear through the invasion of Poland by simply invading on German's Western Front.
And to our fearless leader, I vow to mend my ways regarding titles. With most humble apologies, I promise.
Originally posted by DrDirtOkay, I was reading a blurb about some whack job building a tribute to Hitler and a professor said that Hitler ws the most evil man of the 20th Century. My question is, "Who was/is the most evil human being of the last 100 years?"
For me it is a tossup up between Hilter and Stalin with Mao a close third.
This is where my history background always gets me in trouble. I firmly believe that Hitler wasn't evil _ he was insane. I honestly think that he was so disconnected with reality that he had no concept of right and wrong. Obviously that doesn't even begin to justify what he did, but like I said, I think the guy was too loco to even realize what he was doing.
So, having said that, I'd have to say my definition of evil is "knows what he/she is doing is wrong, but does it anyway because they just don't care." With that as the benchmark, Stalin, Pol Pot and Idi Amin are all contenders, but I'll throw in another name from World War II: Emperor Hirohito. What the Japanese did to the Chinese during WWII makes the Holocaust look like a pillow fight.
Unfortunately, Hitler's views were not uncommon, just carried out in an extreme way. His views came from others in Austria nd Germany. Was he nuts, probably but I would argue the others you cite are also except Hirohito. Nobody sane does what these pieces of excrement did.
Redsoxnation, good point but if you cite him can you leave out Britain and France who could have stopped this clear through the invasion of Poland by simply invading on German's Western Front.
And to our fearless leader, I vow to mend my ways regarding titles. With most humble apologies, I promise.
Blaming the Third Republic for anything/everything has never been a problem for me (or the Fifth Republic for that matter). But, screwing the Comte de Chambord out of his throne was outside the 100 years rule. I did think of going back to assigning all the blame on the signatories of the Versailles Treaty, but, as much as they screwed it up before Hitler, and as much as France and Britain screwed it up from '33-'39, if Von Papen doesn't elevate him, none of it matters either way, at least involving Hitler. He's a localized menace without the Chancellor position. Once he's there, he's a world menace. If one were to defend Von Papen, it could be argued that without elevating Hitler, Von Papen loses power, and the Spanish Civil War instead is the German Civil War between the Nazis and the communists. Considering the weakness of the Third Republic in France, it is possible under these circumstances that all of continental Europe, outside of Mussolini's Italy, becomes communist puppet states of Stalin by the late 1930's. Still, I'd take the risk of that alternate history occurring rather than the history that Von Papen helped create occur.
Originally posted by redsoxnationif Von Papen doesn't elevate him, none of it matters either way, at least involving Hitler. He's a localized menace without the Chancellor position. Once he's there, he's a world menace. If one were to defend Von Papen, it could be argued that without elevating Hitler, Von Papen loses power,
The problem I have with naming a man like Von Papen as 'most evil man in history' is that the man had no clue what he was doing. He was not purely evil and did not intend to take over the world or kill an entire part of the human population. He was looking out for his own job as most people tend to do.
Hitler, while a huge nutjob, had visions of grandeur and figured he could conquer the world and kill all those that got in his way. Yes, his ideas might not have unique or even his own but he did believe in them and did put them into action and this make him diabolical.
The same goes for Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, Baio, etc etc. They all have done malicious acts or ordered them because they wanted to. Not because they figured they might keep a nice cosy job for a bit longer if they support the idiot with the weird ideas. Special mention goes to mad scientists like Mengele who did horrific things because they could and wanted to in the name of science.
Bin Laden can be considered one of the most evil men as he tries to disrupt the entire western civilisation.
Originally posted by AWArulzClearly, 20-30 or so million exterminated by Stalin puts Uncle Joe on the list. But he wasn't hands-on, neither was Hitler. But evil - yes.
Guys like Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader and John Wayne Gacy - are they more evil because they personally did the deed? I wonder.
AWA, interesting question. Are Hitler, Stalin, and company more evil because they were not hands on and in many ways this was an abstraction to them? Or are the serial killers you mentioned more evil because they revelled in the actual deed as they did it? I really don't know if I know for sure but lean toward those who make it more impersonal.
Wasn't he the one that came up with the idea of concentration camps and gas chambers ? To me, Himmler was basically Hitler, but without the dictator title on him.
"Oh it's on like Donkey Kong." - Stifler, American Wedding
Originally posted by AWArulzClearly, 20-30 or so million exterminated by Stalin puts Uncle Joe on the list. But he wasn't hands-on, neither was Hitler. But evil - yes.
Guys like Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader and John Wayne Gacy - are they more evil because they personally did the deed? I wonder.
AWA, interesting question. Are Hitler, Stalin, and company more evil because they were not hands on and in many ways this was an abstraction to them? Or are the serial killers you mentioned more evil because they revelled in the actual deed as they did it? I really don't know if I know for sure but lean toward those who make it more impersonal.
I'm not sure how you could say one is more evil than another depending on if they were "impersonal" (Hitler, Stalin) or "hands-on" (Bundy, Gacy). To me, they are all equally evil. One who might stand out more above others is this guy...
Once for underage drinking and trespassing in state park. In a case of being a malcontent teenager walking in suburbia got pushed to the ground and some guns pulled on me for "robbing a blockbuster" by some jackass cops. That was a thrill.