Idi Amin, ex-dictator of Uganda, dies

[Newsjock]

2nd edit to change link to longer story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3033850,00.html

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Idi Amin, whose eight years as president of Uganda were characterized by bizarre and murderous behavior, died Saturday, a hospital official said.

Amin was 80, Ugandan officials said, though other sources had him born in 1925.

A one-time heavyweight boxing champ and soldier in the British colonial army, Amin seized power on Jan. 25, 1971, overthrowing President Milton Obote while Obote was abroad.

What followed was a reign of terror laced with buffoonery and a flirtation with Palestinian terrorism that led to the daring 1976 Israeli raid to rescue hijack hostages in his country.

Human rights groups say as many as 500,000 people were killed during Amin's 1971-1979 rule over Uganda.

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[NYC]

1. Again?

I hope it's real this time.

[5thGenDemocrat]

2. Of behalf of a grateful world

Let me be the first to say "good riddance."
John
Idi Amin was a turd.

[bluestateguy]

3. I was always told not so say anything if you can't say something nice

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. How many times has he died this summer?

[i have issues]

5. Damn, NYC beat me to it...

Good riddance to the murderer of half a million.

[karlschneider]

6. Does he? How special. Not to flame you, but I don't get the grammar

commonly used, "so-and-so DIES." Isn't that something we do just ONCE?
Why is it phrased as if it's something a person does on an ongoing basis.

I have no problem with a headline saying "Joe Smith eats pizza", where the obvious assumption is that he does so from time to time...

I guess this is a somewhat didactic rant, but it just irks me.
:eyes:

[Newsjock]

7. Anal-retentive copy editor's reply

Because, in headlinese, present tense indicates that something has "recently" happened. Past tense would suggest that it had happened earlier and not in the current news cycle.

It's all part of the evil corporate Big Lie that makes newspapers sound more "current." :)

-- Deep from the heart of the Big Lie

[karlschneider]

10. Okay, I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. :D

:D

[Zuni]

8. I'll drink to that

good riddance.

[sujan]

9. great day

[robertarctor]

11. Yep. He's really gone this time.

See you in Crawford, Idi.

[psychopomp]

12. Lived out his remaining days in comfort

Someday, when justice prevails, the ICC will ensure that real criminals like the recently physically dispossesed will not be able to retire to another country in comfort (Charles Taylor, anyone?).

[wellst0nev0ter]

13. Whoo-Hoo!

Too bad he didn't die by the way of his victims.

[JI7]

14. dead for real this time

i believe this time he really is dead. although i don't k now how many previous reports there were of him dying.

[SoCalDem]

15. I thought he died LAST WEEK

:shrug:

no tears for Idi Amin Dada


".....What followed was a reign of terror laced with buffoonery "....(sounds like he and the Chimp had a lot in common )..:evilgrin:



I wonder how he and Strom are getting along :evilgrin:

[pa28]

16. A complex character

Anybody see the Barbet Schroeder documentary on Amin's life? He came off as a nice guy. Kind of like the films you see of Hitler playing fetch with his dog.

[Enraged_Ape]

17. Moms Mabley said to never to talk about someone being dead...

without saying something good.

He's dead. Good.

[joeybee12]

18. All I remember about him is Saturday Night Live!

Garrett Morris played him as someone's old friend who was out of a job and looking for a place to stay. Usual skit where hubby can't say no to an old friend, wife doesn't want a live-in guest. Pretty funny--right after he was actually run out of the country.

[BiggJawn]

20. Moms Mabely also buried a husband face-down...

She said that he told her he was gonna claw his way out of the grave and get her, so she figured that face-down, he'd "jes' scratch his way closer to where he belong"...

Maybe they should do the same for Da-Da...

[muchacho]

19. World Court

it's still amazies me that people like Amin can get sactuary.

If the US wasn't so concerned about being prosecuted by a world court for war crimes these tyrants might more easly be brought to justice.

[ronnykmarshall]

21. Move over, Hilter.

You have a new roomate in Hell.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. aww and ann coulter was on her way to saudi arabia to donate a kidney

to him....she must be sooo upset