The Triple Dictator Motorcycle
April 4th 2007 23:33
I noticed something odd when I was teaching English in China. One of the standard questions to ask students was 'Which famous person in history would you like to be?' or something to that effect.
In Canada, kids would naturally answer 'Wayne Gretzky' or 'Guy LaFleur'. The occasional oddball might say 'John A. Macdonald', but only if he/she was trying to get a good mark from the teacher.
Naturally, most of the students in China said they wanted to be Mao Zedong. It makes sense; he's on their money and on the walls. It's to be expected.
Surprisingly, some of the students said they wanted to be Hilter or Stalin. What!?
The schools are pretty tightly run to disseminate propaganda among the students, so many of them learn that Hilter was a brilliant military leader and Stalin was a great friend to China.
Between the three of them, Hitler, Stalin and Mao killed around 80 million people, with Hitler and Stalin doing about 20 million each, and Mao being responsible for around 40 million, with the Great Leap Forward accounting for about half of that. Now that's dictatorship!
But why should we focus on the negative aspects of the Unholy Trinity of Dictators? Let us not forget the motorbike.
Designed for Hilter. Modified by Stalin. Manufactured by Mao. It's a guaranteed moneymaker!
This is the ultimate ride. What woman/man can resist you when you putter along in this bad boy? 'Hey baby, why don't you strap yourself in behind me? If you refuse, I'll put you in a forced labour camp? Don't you want to feel the bulge of my war crimes?'
(found on BoingBoing!)
In Canada, kids would naturally answer 'Wayne Gretzky' or 'Guy LaFleur'. The occasional oddball might say 'John A. Macdonald', but only if he/she was trying to get a good mark from the teacher.
Naturally, most of the students in China said they wanted to be Mao Zedong. It makes sense; he's on their money and on the walls. It's to be expected.
Surprisingly, some of the students said they wanted to be Hilter or Stalin. What!?
The schools are pretty tightly run to disseminate propaganda among the students, so many of them learn that Hilter was a brilliant military leader and Stalin was a great friend to China.
Between the three of them, Hitler, Stalin and Mao killed around 80 million people, with Hitler and Stalin doing about 20 million each, and Mao being responsible for around 40 million, with the Great Leap Forward accounting for about half of that. Now that's dictatorship!
But why should we focus on the negative aspects of the Unholy Trinity of Dictators? Let us not forget the motorbike.
Designed for Hilter. Modified by Stalin. Manufactured by Mao. It's a guaranteed moneymaker!
This is the ultimate ride. What woman/man can resist you when you putter along in this bad boy? 'Hey baby, why don't you strap yourself in behind me? If you refuse, I'll put you in a forced labour camp? Don't you want to feel the bulge of my war crimes?'
(found on BoingBoing!)
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