Post: #1

Curiousity finally got the better of me with regard to one of the forum .gifs:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x34sxuf

Post: #2

The man interviewing Idi Amin asks him: "is it true that you said Hitler didn't kill enough Jews during the war?" Idi Amin then starts laughing, hence the gif

Here's the video:

Post: #3

Yeah Idi Amin hated the Israelis/Jews (especially for the 1976 raid on Entebbe). He hated the English the most though.

Oddly enough he loved the Scots. He was fascinated by Scottish culture and history. During the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya, Amin was deployed with the Kings African Rifles. Most of his superior officers and commanders were Scottish. While serving with Scots in the army, he greatly admired their tenacity and bravery.

Post: #4

This is the title he gave himself-

"His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"

Post: #5

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that the hearty, contagious laugh I've been enjoying in gif form all these years is about murdering Jews

Post: #6

"Maybe you should have only one wife"

Post: #7

He also liked to swim with his clothes on, for reasons best known only to himself:

Post: #8

The best part about that documentary is when Idi holds a swimming "contest" with his bodyguards. Hopefully my memory is not playing tricks on me, because I recall it was hilarious when I first saw it.

They are all too scared to beat him, so they swim all tentative-like, while trying to keep an eye on him.

Except for one guy.

When Idi sees the one guy is getting ahead, he just grabs him and pulls him back and then "wins". And totally celebrates like he is Michael Phelps.

Barbet Schroder made the film with one of the greatest cameramen in the world -- Nestor Almendros. It's worth a watch.

Post: #9

(07-11-2016 11:05 AM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  He also liked to swim with his clothes on, for reasons best known only to himself:

Saves time/money doing laundry?

Post: #10

If you guys haven't already seen it, you should check out the movie "The Last King of Scotland" starring Forrest Whittaker.

It's a decent historical drama of the weird rule of Idi Amin, told through the eyes of a visiting foreigner.

I really like Forrest Whittaker, and it really amazes me that he doesn't get the props he deserves. This guy has been all over American and international cinema for decades and has great skills. He never attention-whores, kisses ass, or does anything unprofessional.

If there were more men like him, Hollywood wouldn't be what it is today.

Anyway, back to Idi Amin...

Even though he looked like a genial buffoon, that happy exterior concealed a very dark heart. He had many of his close associates put to death in gruesome ways...he was not a guy to be trifled with.

But I guess that's how it is for all dictators. You never know a moment's peace.

Post: #11

(07-11-2016 02:43 PM)Quintus Curtius Wrote:  If you guys haven't already seen it, you should check out the movie "The Last King of Scotland" starring Forrest Whittaker.

It's a decent historical drama of the weird rule of Idi Amin, told through the eyes of a visiting foreigner.

I really like Forrest Whittaker, and it really amazes me that he doesn't get the props he deserves. This guy has been all over American and international cinema for decades and has great skills. He never attention-whores, kisses ass, or does anything unprofessional.

If there were more men like him, Hollywood wouldn't be what it is today.

Anyway, back to Idi Amin...

Even though he looked like a genial buffoon, that happy exterior concealed a very dark heart. He had many of his close associates put to death in gruesome ways...he was not a guy to be trifled with.

But I guess that's how it is for all dictators. You never know a moment's peace.

That was a great movie and Forrest is indeed awesome, but that movie was far, far too tame. Maybe the point of the movie was to show some other angle on purpose. I don't remember it's been far too long since I watched it. That said, no major Hollywood movie studio would ever show real wanton violence and or real genocide as part of a movie.

Post: #12

Quintus don't forget the 1972 expulsion of Indians.

During the colonial rule many Indians were brought over to East Africa for building railways, many of them stayed after independence.

Out of nowhere Amin expelled roughly 60,000-80,000 Indians by giving them a 90 day ultimatum (leave or be killed).

He did it mostly to humiliate the United Kingdom; they were forced to take most of those Indians expelled because their papers classified them as 'British Subjects'.

Post: #13

This reminds me of the proto-meme from the sixties in Esquire magazine.

This picture:



This caption:

Why is this man laughing?

Post: #14

^ Isn't that Richard Nixon? He was probably president when Idi Amin was in power.

Post: #15

Yep. Nixon. Guess leaders laughed a lot back then.

Post: #16

(07-11-2016 05:11 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  Yep. Nixon. Guess leaders laughed a lot back then.

Just as old scary hags do today....