The End of an Era - Spaghetti Dictatorships?

I'm in a good mood tonight, so I'll post something a little bit light-hearted for a change.

Whether it's Ali Abdullah Saleh, Muammar al Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein, the Arab world's dictators are like something out of a Spaghetti Western. They lived fast, took what they could, and were merciless to their enemies and friends alike. Their time is ending, but spare a thought to these hapless heroes as they blasted and plundered their way across the twentieth century, mixing ideology with religion, philosophy and revolutionary spirit. They believed in nothing but power and money, yet at times their villainous visages and buffoonish defiance in the face of history made them almost endearing, and possibly even martyrs for some people. For that, I suggest we call them the "Spaghetti Dictators". From golden handguns and Kalashnikovs to pet tigers and chemical weapons, I have to say that the Arab world has created some of the most colourful and interesting dictators in history. I mean if you want to be a tyrant there's no reason why you can't have fun along the way, right?

Here is a short soundtrack to that thought, and if you watch the video below closely, you could almost imagine our Arab dictators fitting in perfectly with these big screen villains.

The Good

The Bad

The Ugly